TheNewsGuru

Tag: Court

  • Suspected Badoo cultist in court over alleged possession of human head

    Suspected Badoo cultist in court over alleged possession of human head

    A 22-year-old suspected Badoo cult member, Emmanuel Obazuaye, who was allegedly caught with a human head, was on Tuesday brought before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    The accused, who resides in Ikorodu, Lagos State, is standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and unlawful possession of human head.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that members of the Badoo cult have been terrorising Ikorodu and its environs for several months, resulting in fatalities.
    No fewer than 1, 000 of the suspects have been arrested by the police.

    The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Romanus Unuigbe, told the court that the accused committed the offences on July 27 at 1.00 p.m. at No. 1, Lejumo St., Adamo, Ikorodu, Lagos.

    Unuigbe alleged that Obazuaye was caught at a shrine in Ikorodu with a fresh human head where he claimed# he visited to seek “protection” from a native doctor.

    He said Obazuaye, who did not act alone, but with others still at large, was immediately taken to the police station for further questioning.

    The offences contravened Sections 238 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).

    The Chief Magistrate, Mr Adewale Ojo, granted the accused bail in the sum of N250, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    He said the sureties must be blood relations of the accused and should also show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    Ojo adjourned the case until September 13 for a mention.

  • Court merges suits seeking to stop Melaye’s recall from Senate

    The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday consolidated two different suits seeking to stop the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from initiating the process of recalling Senator Dino Melaye (APC, Kogi).

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba allowed for the suits filed by Mr. Melaye and the All Progressives Congress, APC, to be consolidated, to avoid having conflicting judgments since the subject matter of both suits were similar.

    The application to consolidate the APC suit to the one filed by Melaye was brought by counsel to party, O.D. Atoyebi.

    Dimgba said that he was mindful to grant the application which was formerly before Justice John Tsoho, in order to avoid conflicting judgments.

    He, therefore, directed the APC lawyer to serve all processes on all the parties.

    Dimgba had earlier granted the application of some interested parties seeking to join the suit as defendants and plaintiff respectively.

    Olowo Cornelius, John Ajorin and Yusuf Adamu (the petitioners) had sought to be joined as co-defendants, while Michael Olowoleyemo, applied to be joined as co-plaintiff.

    Ruling on the applications argued by Anthony Adeniyi for parties seeking to be joined as defendants, the court held that joining the parties was for “effectual and complete” adjudication of the matter.

    Justice Dimgba said that it was in the interest of justice that the parties be joined since the issue at stake affected their interests.

    He adjourned the matter until August 11 to hear the substantive matter.

    It would be recalled that INEC commenced Melaye’s recall process following the receipt of a petition from members of his constituency demanding his recall.

    Melaye, however, approached the court seeking an order stopping INEC from going ahead with the recall process, pending the determination of a suit he had filed challenging his recall.

    Melaye, in the suit, alleged irregularities and fraud in the petition.

    The APC filed a similar suit, seeking to stop INEC from recalling Melaye, which was adjourned until September 29.

    NAN

     

  • Court orders permanent forfeiture of Diezani’s ‘$37.5 million Lagos property’

    Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court Monday ordered the permanent forfeiture of a $37.5 million property on Banana Island, Lagos, allegedly belonging to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

    Obiozor gave the order to the Federal Government after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, argued a motion on notice before the court.

    The property, known as Building 3, Block B, Bella Vista Plot 1, Banana Island Foreshore Estate, has 24 apartments, 18 flats, and six penthouses, according to prosecutors.

    Obiozor had on July 19 ordered the temporary forfeiture of the property after listening to an exparte application brought by the EFCC’s Head of Legal, Anselm Ozioko.

    The judge also directed the EFCC to publish the order in the newspapers so that any interested party who does not want the property to be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government could appear in court within 14 days.

    He then adjourned proceedings till August 7.

    At the resumed hearing Monday, Mr. Ozioko informed the court that the EFCC had published the order in the papers as directed, but the respondents did not show up to contest the order.

    Alison-Madueke is currently in the UK where she is under probe for alleged money laundering.

    Apart from several corruption allegations against her in Nigeria, she has also been named in corruption charges against two of her associates, Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko, in the United States.

  • Court strikes out case of defaming Saraki

    Court strikes out case of defaming Saraki

    An Ilorin Magistrates Court on Thursday struck out a suit against a 37-year-old teacher, Abiodun Baba accused of defaming the Senate President, Bukola Saraki.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Baba was arraigned before Magistrate Ahmed Dasuki for posting on his Facebook account messages that disparaged and defamed the Senate President.

    According to the complainant, Alhaji Jimoh Adesina, Chairman Kwar North Senatorial District of the All Progressives Congress, the accused engrave the materials on his facebook wall knowing fully well that they will be harmful to the image of Saraki.

    The complainant also accused Baba of inciting disturbance, disturbance of public peace and injurious falsehood posts on Facebook.

    He also alleged that Baba’s postings were capable of causing disaffection and were disparaging against Saraki.

    The offences, he said, were contrary to sections 113, 114, 393, 394 of the Penal Code of Northern Nigeria and section 883and 204 of the Criminal Code Act.

    The charges were filed by the Chamber of S. I. Solagberu and Co, Ilorin at the Magistrate court.

    However, Sikiru Solagberu, lawyer to the complainant, on July 28, moved an oral application to withdraw the case against the accused.

    He said the decision followed appeals and intervention by prominent citizens in the state and the Ilorin Traditional Council.

    The Magistrate, Ahmed Dasuki in his ruling held that the reasons adduced by the complainant are weighty enough and did not require any application or affidavit in support.

    He said the reasons given by the complainant to withdraw the case were also genuine and therefore granted the prayers of the complainant.

    He advised the accused to henceforth be of good conduct.

     

     

    NAN

  • ‘I never had intention of evading tax,’ Ronaldo tells court

    Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has denied hiding millions of euros in income at a court hearing near the Spanish capital on Monday where he was charged with tax evasion.

    The Portuguese — the world’s highest paid sportsman according to Forbes magazine — follows in the footsteps of his arch-rival, Barcelona forward Lionel Messi, who was found guilty of the same offence last year.

    “I have never hidden anything, nor have I had the intention of evading taxes,” Ronaldo, 32, told the court, according to a statement from the sports agency which represents him, Gestifute.

    “I always voluntarily file my tax returns because I think we all must file a return and pay taxes according to our income. Those that know me, know what I ask my advisors: that they have everything up to date and properly paid, because I don’t want problems.”

    Accused of having evaded 14.7 million euros ($17.3 million) in tax, he entered and left the court in Pozuelo de Alarcon, a wealthy suburb of Madrid where he lives, via an underground garage to avoid the press.

    Prosecutors allege he took “advantage of a company structure created in 2010 to hide income generated in Spain from his image rights from tax authorities”. They say this was a “voluntary and conscious breach of his fiscal obligations in Spain”.

    Prosecutors accuse the four-time world player of the year of evading tax via a shell company based in the British Virgin Islands and another in Ireland, known for low corporate tax rates.

    In addition, they say the Real Madrid striker only declared 11.5 million euros of Spanish-related income from 2011 to 2014, while what he really earned during that time was close to 43 million euros.

    They also accuse him of “voluntarily” refusing to include 28.4 million euros in income linked to the sale of his image rights for the 2015 to 2020 period to a Spanish company.

    ‘Legal and legitimate’
    Ronaldo told the court he did not create a “special structure” to manage his image rights when he moved to Real in 2009 but simply maintained the one set up in 2004 while he was at Manchester United “long before I thought of coming to Spain”.

    This structure had been deemed “legal and legitimate” by the British tax office. The affair has taken its toll on Ronaldo.

    According to press reports, Real’s all-time top goalscorer threatened to leave Spain over the affair, giving supporters a fright. He has since decided to stay on, according to Real coach Zinedine Zidane.

    If he were put on trial and found guilty, Ronaldo would risk “a fine of at least 28 million” euros and could potentially be jailed for three and a half years, the Gestha union of experts at Spain’s Inland Revenue has said.

    Since extending his contract last November until 2021, Ronaldo is the highest paid sports star in the world with $93 million earned in 2016-2017, according to Forbes.

     

  • [JUST IN] Aluu 4: Court sentences 3 to death for murder

    A Federal High Court sitting in Rivers has found three persons guilty of the murder of four students who were lynched in Aluu community in 2012.

    The court presided over by Justice Nyordee also discharged and acquitted four others also standing trial for the 2012 murder.

    According to the Judge, the prosecution failed to prove its case of murder against the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th accused persons beyond every reasonable doubt.

    He, however, found the 1st to 3rd defendants guilty of murder.

     

    Details later…

  • Recall: Court fixes August 7 for hearing on Melaye’s case

    The Federal High Court Abuja, on Thursday, fixed August 7, to hear the suit that stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from going ahead with the process of Sen. Dino Melaye’s recall.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Melaye represents Kogi West Senatorial district in the Senate.

    The suit which was originally adjourned till September 29, will now be heard on August 7.

    Justice Nnamdi Dimgba said he was minded to exercise his discretion to hear the matter within the court’s vacation period.

    INEC had through its lawyer, Mr Sulayman Ibrahim, requested accelerated hearing of the suit during vacation.

    The Commission said it was constrained under section 69 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, to conclude the recall process within 90 days.

    It earlier asked the court to vacate the interim order that stopped it from going ahead with the recall process.

    INEC is challenging the legality of the restraining order that Justice John Tsoho of the high court issued against it on July 6.

    Justice Tsoho had ordered all the parties involved in the recall process to maintain the status quo until September 29 when the case was previously adjourned to.

    Earlier when the matter was called, two sets of applicants, applied to be joined as interested parties in the matter.

    Michael Olowolayemi, through his lawyer, Mr Ponsak Biyan, applied to be joined as a co-plaintiff while three persons, Chief Olowo Cornelius John Anjorin and Mallam Yusuf Adamu, sought to be joined as co-defendants through their counsel, A. A. Adeniyi (SAN).

    Even though INEC initially opposed their application, it subsequently withdrew its counter-affidavit to enable the matter to be heard expeditiously.

    INEC lawyer, however, described the interlocutory application as a deliberate ploy to delay hearing of the matter.

    TheNewsGuru.com Melaye had in the suit, prayed the court to declare the petition his constituents presented to INEC for his recall as illegal.

    Dino had also prayed the court for a declaration that the petition forwarded to INEC was invalid and of no effect, alleging that it was signed by fictitious, dead and none existing persons.

  • Alleged N852bn scam: Court rejects Fayemi’s request to stop Ekiti Govt probe panel

    An Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti, has refused an application filed by former Governor Kayode Fayemi seeking an interim order to restrain the Judicial Panel of Inquiry set up by Ekiti State Government to probe his administration.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Fayemi, now the Minister of Mines and Steel Development, was Ekiti State governor between 2010 and October 2014.

    The interim application sought to restrain the commission from further sitting pending hearing and determination of the substantive motion for injunction.

    The commission was in compliance with the resolution of the Ekiti State House of Assembly passed on May 10, 2017, pursuant to Section 2 of the Ekiti State Commission of Enquiry Law Cap C10 Laws of Ekiti State 2012.

    The defendants are Governor Ayodele Fayose, the state Attorney General, Ekiti State House of Assembly, Justice Silas Oyewole retrd. (panel chairman), Mr. Gbemiga Adaramola (panel secretary).

    Others are members of the panel: Mrs. Bolawale Awe, Mr. Idowu Ayenimo, Mr. Omodara Vincent, Mr. Adesoba Oluremi and Mr. Sunday Bamise.

    The defendants had filed a Notice of Preliminary Objection challenging the competence of the court to hear the matter.

    Ruling on Tuesday, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye held that Fayemi’s request for an interim order could not be granted because of the notice of preliminary injunction filed by the defendants, which must first be determined before any order could be granted in the matter.

    “It, therefore, means that this court must decide first on the Notice of Preliminary Objection filed by the defendants because a challenge to the competence of a suit raises the issue of jurisdiction to hear and determine same, for the competence of a suit is an ingredient of jurisdiction.

    “I therefore do not believe that I have the power to grant an application for interim injunction pending the determination of the preliminary objection before me.

    “Consequently, I am unable in the circumstance to grant the prayer of the applicants.”

    However, the court granted Fayemi’s prayer for an accelerated hearing, saying that the substantive suit would now be heard together with the defendant’s preliminary objection.

    “The justice of the matter, however, would dictate that the matter be given accelerated hearing.

    “The grant or refusal of an application is within the discretionary powers of the court. An exercise of discretion must, however, be based on accepted and recognised principles and, of course, relevant law. In all, the application is hereby refused,” the judge ruled.

    He consequently adjourned the suit to July 31 for definite hearing.

    Fayemi’s counsel, Chief Rafiu Balogun, said the court was fair to both parties in granting defendant’s prayer that the application for interim injunction be refused, while at the same time granting his client’s prayer for accelerated hearing of the substantive case.

    The defendants’ counsel, Daniel Alumun, said it was right for the court to consider the preliminary objection, saying the claimant can’t stop a panel established by law from working.

    In the suit with number HAD/57/2017, Fayemi asked the court to restrain the governor, the state’s Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice and the members of the judicial commission from taking any step on the probe as a result of two pending cases.

    Fayemi also sought a declaration that the motion and subsequent resolution of the Ekiti State House of Assembly directing the governor (first defendant) to set up a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate or probe his administration are unlawful, illegal and ought to be declared null and void.

    He stated that the resolution was passed during the pendency of a case involving him, the Assembly and its Speaker, which touched on the legality of the summons and powers of the Assembly to conduct any investigation or direct any other person or body to do so without strict compliance with the tenets of the 1999 Constitution.

     

  • Alleged N249.6b ‘hidden’ funds: Make your ‘denials’ in court, FG tells banks

    The Federal Government has urged banks named in the hoarding of funds accrued to the it to direct their denials to the court.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday, granted an ex-parte application by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) for an order directing the banks to remit the funds to the Federal Government.

    Justice Chuka Obiozor, who gave the order, warned that it would be made permanent on August 8, unless the banks show cause why the order should not be made permanent.

    The office of the AGF, through its lawyer, Prof. Yemi Akinseye-George (SAN), accused seven banks of unlawfully withholding $793,200,000 (about N249,659,700,000.00) in breach of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) policy.

    The banks listed in the court documents filed by the office of the AGF are: United Bank for Africa (UBA), Diamond Bank Plc, Skye Bank Plc, First Bank Limited, Fidelity Bank Plc, Keystone Bank Limited and Sterling Bank Plc.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Fidelity,Sterling Bank, Skye and UBA have denied having any involvement in the deal.

    Court documents stated that $367.4 million was hidden by three government agencies in UBA; $41 million was kept in a National Petroleum Investment Management Services (NAPIMS) fixed deposit account with Skye Bank.

    Also, $277.9 million was found in Diamond Bank, $18.9 million in First Bank, $24.5 million in Fidelity Bank, $17million in Keystone Bank and $46.5 million in Sterling Bank.

    Since the court’s order was reported in the media on Friday, many of the banks have continued to deny any wrong doing.

    But, a senior official in the office of the AGF faulted the banks for rushing to the media with their denial.

    According to the official, since the court has adjourned to August 8 and given the banks up till then to show cause why the order should not be made permanent, their concern should be how to convince the court that they acted legally.

    The official, who wouldn’t want to be named, said: “Don’t mind them. Let them continue to deny. They should file their processes and we will meet them in court. They appear not to know the extent of evidence we have against them.

    “There were even some accounts that were dormant, yet millions of U.S. dollars were found in them. Some of the accounts were opened without names.

    “How do you keep dollars in accounts and yet fail to ascribe names to them? Is that a standard banking practice? I suspect what they are doing is not regular banking.

    “We are waiting for them to file. They can start filing by Monday. This case will be interesting. This case will lead us to a lot of other things. I don’t want to say more than that.

    “They should tell us the government officials and agencies that authorised them to breach the government’s TSA policy and why. We are waiting.

    “Those agencies and officials will have to explain to the court where they got their powers to disregard the government’s TSA policy and encourage banks to hoard government’s funds in coded accounts.

    “The government is determined, this time, to ensure things are done well. We will do all it takes to sanitise the banking sector and free money for the government to fulfil its many promises to the people.”

  • Court dissolves marriage over “N500 per round of sex, sperm withdrawal” controversy

    A housewife, Mutiatu Olaosebikan, has lost her seven-year-old marriage for demanding money from her husband before sex.

    An Igando Customary Court in Lagos on Wednesday granted the request of her estranged husband to dissolve the union.

    Delivering his judgment, the President of the court, Adegboyega Omilola, said from all indications the estranged couple was tired of the marriage and all efforts to reconcile them had failed.

    “Since both parties had consented to the dissolution of their marriage, this court has no choice than to dissolve the marriage.

    “The court pronounce the marriage between Mr Sunday Olaosebikan and Mrs Mutiatu Olaosebikan dissolved today, both parties henceforth cease to be husband and wife.

    “Both are free to go their separate ways without any hindrance or molestation,” the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) quoted Mr. Omilola as saying.

    The court also granted the custody of the only child of the marriage to the mother.

    Earlier, Sunday Olaosebikan, had told the court that his wife had always refused him sex until she collected at least N500 and that he was tired of paying N500 per bout before having sex with his wife.

    He also told the court that Mutiatu threatened to kill him, and that she stabbed him with dangerous weapons whenever they had misunderstanding.

    “My lord, she once stabbed me with a broken bottle on my head and I bled heavily which landed me in the hospital.

    “Mutiatu places her kitchen knife under her pillow and when I queried her, she said her pastor instructed her to use it anytime he had bad dreams.

    “But whenever I requested for sex or during argument, she brings out the knife threatening to stab me,’’ he said.

    He described his wife as an aggressive and violent person, saying “she may kill me if I continue with the marriage.”

    “I ran away from the house to avoid untimely death.

    “Also because of her bad behaviour, she could not get a steady job.”

    The 42-year-old businessman begged the court to terminate the union on grounds of lack of love.

    However, Mutiatu, said her husband, Sunday, usually discharged his sperm on the floor during sexual intercourse (withdrawal method).

    “My husband no longer releases sperm into me when we had sex. He is in the habit of pouring his sperm on the floor, he does not want me to get pregnant again.

    “He started this withdrawal method five years ago; I only have one child who is six years old; now, he can go more than six rounds, but will never release the sperm into me, instead he pours it on the floor.

    “Whenever I queried him about the withdrawal method, he could not give a satisfactory answer,’’ she said.

    The respondent said her husband was an “untamed Chatterbox,’’ who cannot keep the family secrets.

    She said he has a habit of sharing their family issues with his relatives, friends and even, the public.

    “There was a day I was attacked spiritually and blood was gushing out of my eyes, nose and mouth.

    “When I was rushed to a prayer house, I was told that my husband caused the sickness because he talks too much about our affairs in the public,’’ she said.

    The 34-year-old trader also described her husband as tight-fisted as she has been the one taking care of their baby from birth.

    “My husband turned me into a punching bag that anytime we had misunderstanding, he would beat the hell out of me.”

    She urged the court to grant her husband’s request for the dissolution of the marriage as she was also tired of the union.

     

    (NAN)