The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Upper Area Court

  • Woman sues ex-husband for refusing her to re-marry

    Woman sues ex-husband for refusing her to re-marry

    A divorcee, Hajara Usman, on Monday sued her former husband before an Upper Area Court in Karu, Abuja for stopping her from re-marrying.

    Usman, residing in Asokoro, Abuja told the court that she got married to one Adamu Abdullahi in 2011 but that they got divorced through Islamic way in 2016.

    She said that while the marriage lasted, Abdullahi tortured her at the slightest provocation.

    “My parents actually forced me to marry him. I never loved him and when I got into the marriage, I discovered that Abdullahi was ill-tempered.

    “He usually beats me up whenever he is angry and his parents and mine warned him severally to stop it but he did not heed their advice.’’

    Usman said that Abdullahi divorced her in November 2016, compelling her to leave his house immediately after pronouncing `divorce’ three times in line with Islamic injunction.

    “I have long observed my compulsory Idah (waiting) period but my ex-husband has refused to allow me to marry other suitors coming for me.’’

    She told the court that having finished observing the waiting period, two men had at different times indicated interest to marry her.

    Usman said that the moment her former husband got wind of her wedding plans and the ceremony that followed, he came to the venue and disrupted the ceremony.

    “ In April this year, the man who first indicated interest to marry me came to perform the wedding rites, my ex-husband sent a group of boys to disrupt the ceremony.

    “ On another occasion, when he heard I was about to re-marry, he way-laid me and beat me up so much that I had to plead with him.

    “On the day he beat me, he said he was beating me so that no man would desire me since I decided to move on and re-marry almost immediately.”

    She pleaded with the court to compel her former husband to explain why he would not want her to re-marry because his actions had discouraged her suitors.

    Usman also pleaded with the court to divorce her and Abdullahi formally and legally, saying that she no longer had interest in Abdullahi.

    “ I want the court to issue us a divorce certificate and restrain him from coming close to me,’’ Usman pleaded.

    Reacting to the statement of his former wife, Abdullahi, who also resides in Asokoro, said that it was true that they were no longer married.

    He said that his grouse was that his former wife came to the court to tell lies against him.

    “ Since I divorced her, according to the tenets of our religion, I had nothing to do with her.

    “I have avoided her and her family because the marriage was arranged between our parents and we were never meant for each other,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the estranged couple has no child from the marriage.

    The Judge, Mr Abdullahi Baba, adjourned the matter until Nov. 1 for the plaintiff to come to court with at least two persons, who witnessed the disruption of her marriage rites.

    Baba said that a divorce certificate would be issued to the parties at the completion of the case since there was no more love between them and they had also been living apart.

    He, however, urged the parties to maintain peace since they lived in the same neighbourhood.

  • Family doctor docked over alleged adultery

    Family doctor docked over alleged adultery

    Micheal Owoicho, a Jos-based family doctor, has been docked at a Jos Upper Area Court 1 in Plateau on allegations of adultery.

    Lawal Suleiman, Judge of the court sitting at Kasuwan Nama area of Jos on Monday, however, granted him bail in the sum of N100, 000.

    He had pleaded not guilty to the charge of adultery brought against him.

    Part of the bail conditions was that he should produce a surety in like sum, who must be a lecturer with the University of Jos.

    The surety was also requested to produce two passport photographs and an identity card of the institution.

    The accused, a staff of the Jos University Teaching Hospital and Medical Director (MD) of Elroi Hospital, had pleaded not guilty to the offence.

    The Prosecutor, M.M.Alex, had on arraignment told the court that one Maduabuchi Orji, the complainant in the matter, had reported the matter at the office of the Assistant Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigations Department (CID), Jos.

    He said that Maduabuchi reported that Owoicho, who was his family doctor, was having an affair with his wife.

    The prosecutor told the court that the complainant said that he had suspected that his wife, Ifeoma Sharon Orji, was having an affair with the family doctor for a long time.

    According to him, the complainant said that the accused had on diverse dates in the month of July 2015 to 2016, enticed his wife in his residence at No. UG/C/14, Utan GRA, Jos, and Silk Suites Hotels located at Zaramaganda, Rayfield Road.

    “The accused enticed, with criminal intent, the lawful wife of the complainant eliciting sexual intercourse with her,’’ the prosecutor said.

    Alex said that the offence was forbidden under the native law and custom of the Idoma people of Benue State (the accused’s tribe) and was also a criminal offence, contrary to and punishable under Sections 387 and 389 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria.

    The accused’s counsel, Izang Aware, had pleaded for bail for the accused, which was granted, the case was, however, adjourned to Aug. 30, for further hearing.

     

  • Businessman in court over alleged theft of security lights

    Businessman in court over alleged theft of security lights

    A 35-year-old businessman, Aminu Hamidu, was on Thursday arraigned in a Gudu Upper Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing security lights valued at N180,000.

    Hamidu of Nyanya Partaker, Abuja, denied committing the offence.
    The judge, Alhaji Umar Kagariko, granted him bail in the sum of N150, 000, with a surety in like sum and adjourned the case until Aug. 9 for hearing.
    The prosecutor, Fidelix Ogbobe, had told the court that the complainant, one Chris Honeson of Plot 285 Karu Hill Abuja, reported the matter at the Karu Police Station on June 21.
    Ogbobe said the defendant on June 21 at about 3 p.m. dishonestly trespassed into the complainant’s compound without his consent and stole eight security lights valued at N180, 000.
    He said that during police investigation and interrogation, three of the stolen lights valued at N48, 000 were recovered from the defendant.
    He added that all effort to recover the remaining five security lights valued at N137, 000 prove Abortive.
    The offence contravened sections 348 and 287 of the Penal Code.

     

  • Three charged with stealing in Church

    Three charged with stealing in Church

    Three men, Hamza Salihu, Akorede Babalola, and Isaac Aboyomi, were on Wednesday, arraigned in an Upper Area Court, Gudu, Abuja for allegedly stealing in Church.

    The trio, whose ages ranged between 40 and 32, have no fixed address.

    They are standing trial on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and theft.

    Mr Fidelis Ogbobe, the prosecutor, told the court that Mr Austin Abua, Chief Security Officer of Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral Church, Garki, reported the matter at Garki Police Station on May 27.

    Ogbobe said the three defendants “formed a common intention by criminally trespassing into the said Church with the intention to committing an offence of theft.”

    He said one of the accused, Salihu, while in the Church, put his hand into the bag of one of the worshipers and stole her handset and N25, 000.

    According to the prosecutor, he was arrested in the process which also led to the arrest of his accomplices.

    Ogbobe said the offence was contrary to sections 343 and 287 of the Penal Code.

    However, the three defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The judge, Mr Umar Kagarko, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100, 000 each.

    The judge also ordered each of them to produce a reliable surety in like sum.

    He said the prosecutor should confirm the internal and external addresses of the sureties, and adjourned hearing until July 26.