The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Yinka Farounbi

  • Three lawyers accused of assaulting EFCC detective

    Three lawyers were yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly assaulting an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operative in the line of duty.

    The lawyers were said to have obstructed the operatives from arresting a former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, Yinka Farounbi, on March 4.

    They are Lateef Abdulsalam, 55, Evans Okwuede, 45, and Abiodun Kolawole, 48.

    The defendants, who are all members of the Ikeja NBA,  are facing a three-count charge of conspiracy, resisting a public officer and assault before Chief Magistrate O. A. Layinka.

    Read also: EFCC Academy to begin award of degree certificates soon

    They were alleged to have assaulted Mrs. Patience Kalu during the monthly meeting of Ikeja NBA.

    Prosecuting Inspector Akeem Raji alleged that the defendants assaulted Mrs. Kalu while trying to arrest Farounbi, over allegations of financial misappropriation.

    Raji claimed that the defendants injured Kalu on her hand and neck.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    Chief Magistrate Layinka granted them N100,000 bail with one surety each in the like sum.

    She said the sureties must be lawyers and provide their NBA seal as proof.

    The case continues on May 15.

     

  • Alleged N25m fraud: former NBA chair arrested

    Former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ikeja branch, Yinka Farounbi, was yesterday arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for alleged N25 million fraud.

    Farounbi’s arrest during the general monthly meeting of the NBA, Ikeja branch, held at the Bar Centre, old Secretariat, Ikeja, GRA, followed his refusal to honour an invitation sent to him by the commission.

    Three members of the NBA, Ikeja chapter, including Gabriel Opayinka, were alleged to have petitioned the EFCC alleging N25 million fraud during the last administration led by Adesina Ogunlana.

    It was gathered that Ogunlana was recently released after spending three nights in EFCC custody over the same issue.

    Ogunlana was said to have been arrested at his Ikorodu Road, Onipanu law firm after his initial refusal to honour the anti-graft agency’s invitation.

    The Nation learnt that Farounbi was invited for interrogation by the EFCC when investigation showed that he was still signing bank cheques despite that his tenure had lapsed.

    It was gathered that Farounbi and another signatory were prevailed upon to sign cheques to execute urgent programmes of the branch, as the Ogunlana led executive were yet to effect change of bank signatories as a result of the crisis that engulfed the bar after their election.

    A source within the bar said the meeting of the lawyers was in progress when it was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of the EFCC operatives.

    On arrival, the EFCC officials were said to have asked for Farounbi, saying they wanted to arrest him.

    The Chairman of the branch, Dele Oloke, was alleged to have identified Farounbi to the EFCC operatives for arrest, a development that infuriated the lawyers.

    It was said that Opayinka and two others owned up to the petition submitted to the EFCC alleging N25million fraud in the bar.

    The source said the situation turned into a chaos, as lawyers, who were not happy about the invasion of their meeting, resisted Farounbi’s arrest and slammed the branch Chairman, Oloke, for not protecting the former chairman.

    In the crisis that ensued, a female operative of the EFCC was allegedly assaulted before they retreated.

    The development made the EFCC operatives to call for reinforcement from their office.

    However, before their arrival, Farounbi surrendered and was driven away in a Toyota Hiace bus marked BWR 643 GA at about 15:35pm.

    With the arrival of the reinforcement, the injured female EFCC operative, whose jacket was torn, and her colleagues said they would not leave the centre until those who assaulted her were arrested.

  • Alleged N25m fraud: EFCC arrests former NBA, Ikeja chairman

    Former chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Yinka Farounbi, was on Monday arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged N25 million fraud in the association.

    Farounbi’s arrest during the general monthly meeting of the NBA, Ikeja Branch held at the Bar Centre, old Secretariat, Ikeja GRA, was sequel to his refusal to honour an invitation sent to him by the commission.

    Three members of the NBA, Ikeja including Gabriel Opayinka, were alleged to have petitioned the EFCC alleging N25 million fraud during the last administration led by Adesina Ogunlana.

    It was gathered that Ogunlana was recently released after spending three nights in EFCC custody over same issue.

    Ogunlana was said to have been arrested at his Ikorodu Road, Onipanu law firm after his initial refusal to honour the anti-graft agency’s invitation.

    It was gathered that Farounbi was invited for interrogation by the EFCC when investigation revealed that he was still signing bank cheques despite that his tenure had lapsed.

    It was gathered that Farounbi and another signatory were prevailed upon to sign some cheques to execute some urgent programmes of the NBA Ikeja branch as the Ogunlana led executive were yet to effect change of bank signatories as a result of the crisis that engulfed the bar after their election.

    A source within the bar said the meeting of the lawyers was in progress when it was suddenly interrupted by the arrival of the EFCC.

    On arrival, the EFCC operatives were said to have enquired for Farounbi, that they wanted to arrest him.

    The chairman of the branch, Dele Oloke was alleged to have identified Farounbi to the EFCC operatives for arrest, a development infuriated the lawyers.

    It was said that Gabriel Opayinka and two others owned up to the petition submitted to the EFCC alleging N25million fraud in the bar.

    The source said the situation turned into chaos as lawyers, who were not happy about the invasion of their meeting by the EFCC operatives, resisted the arrest of Farounbi and chastised the branch chairman, Oloke for not protecting the former chairman of the branch.

    In crisis that ensued, a female operative of the EFCC was allegedly assaulted.

    The development made the EFCC operatives to call for reinforcement from their office following their initial failed attempt to arrest Farounbi.

    However, before their arrival, Farounbi gave himself up and was driven away in a Toyota Hiace bus marked BWR 643 GA at about 15.35 p.m.

    With the arrival of the reinforcement, the female EFCC operative, whose jacket was torn and had an injury on her neck as a result of the assault, and her colleagues said they would not leave the NBA, Ikeja Bar Centre until those who assaulted her were arrested.

  • NBA seeks doctors’ recall

    NBA seeks doctors’ recall

    The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) urged the Federal Government yesterday to recall the over 16,000 resident doctors sacked last week.

    In a statement in Lagos by the Chairman of its Ikeja branch, Mr. Yinka Farounbi, the NBA described the sack of the doctors as “ill-advised and insensitive at this critical stage of the health challenges posed by the ravaging Ebola virus.”

    The union said the government took an “unpopular decision and not in the interest of the country”.

    It urged the government to dialogue with the NMA to end its strike so that the doctors could assist in containing the deadly Ebola virus, which is a “death hanging on us all”.

    Farounbi said: “The incidence of the Ebola virus in our country today calls for total participation of all our medical doctors and even the recall of the retired and the older ones to cub its spread. It is, therefore, ironical and illogical that we are depleting the desired participation by sacking over 16,000 of the already inadequate medical work force.”

     

    The NBA chairman noted that the mass sack, if not reversed, “portends grave implications and consequences too deadly a luxury for the country to afford”.

    He stressed that “doctors are not unskilled labourers who could be procured at will, unless we intentionally intend to kill the already sick medical system of the country”.

    Farounbi added: “Residency is a most important aspect of medicine all over the world. Our opposition to the suspension of resident doctors stem from the fact that residency is into training, research and clinical management.

    “And most important is the fact that medical personnel involved in the treatment of Ebola patients are mainly resident doctors.”

  • NBA urges govt to dialogue with Judiciary workers

    NBA urges govt to dialogue with Judiciary workers

    THe Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has urged the Federal Government to dialogue with the Judiciary workers, under the aegis of the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), to avoid the collapse of justice system.

    NBA Ikeja branch chairman Mr. Yinka Farounbi said there would be anarchy, if nothing is done immediately to avert the collapse of the justice system because of JUSUN’s plan to call out Federal High Courts’ workers for a solidarity strike.

    The union leader said it would be wrong if the government feels unconcerned about the developments in the Judiciary. He said this calls for urgent attention and resolution.

    The judicial workers’ strike is meant to enforce a Federal High Court judgment, which granted financial autonomy to the Judiciary and in solidarity with the Rivers State judicial workers, who have been protesting the presence of two headship of the Judiciary in the state.

    Farounbi said: “I think government should sit down with the association, dialogue with its leaders, look at their demands and concede to them what they can concede. The ones that have to be negotiated should be negotiated. In the process, there would be a compromise. There would be no winner, no loser.

    “The JUSUN cannot have everything it wants, and the government cannot fold its arms and feel unconcerned. Let them sit at a roundtable and agree on the fundamentals to ensure that the courts become functional again.”