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  • Court dismisses Evans’ suit challenging his detention

    The Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, yesterday dismissed a fundamental rights enforcement appeal filed by suspected billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans.

    Evans, in the twilight of his arrest and detention, approached a Federal High Court in Lagos, challenging his arrest and alleged detention beyond the time allowed by law, his continued detention without trial or arraignment within the time allowed by law and his subjection to media trial by the police.

    But on January 16, 2018, Justice Abdulazeez Anka held that Evans’ claims were not meritorious.

    Dissatisfied, Evans, through his counsel, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje, filed a notice of appeal dated January 29, 2018.

    But the Police, through its counsel, Inspector Emmanuel Eze of the State Intelligence and Criminal Investigation Department (SICID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos, opposed him.

    Yesterday, a three-man panel of the appellate court, in a unanimous ruling delivered by Justice A.U. Ogakwu, upheld the lower court’s decision,

    “The appeal lacks merit and is hereby dismissed with no order of cost,” Justice Ogakwu held.

  • I was tortured by I-G’s Intelligence Response Team, SARS — Evans

    Alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a. Evans, on Friday narrated how he was allegedly tortured by members of I-G’s Intelligence Response Team and the then Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).
    Evans said at the continuation of a trial-within-trial at an Ikeja High Court where he is facing trial alongside six others on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that before Evans’ testimony, a five-minute, 33-second video recording was played in the courtroom.
    The video recording showed Insp. Idowu Haruna, a member of the IG’s Intelligence Response Team, sitting beside Evans cautioning him and taking his statement.
    Mr Olanrewaju Ajanaku, Evans’ lawyer, however, disputed the validity of the recording by claiming it was heavily edited.
    Evans, while being led in evidence by Ajanaku, described himself as a businessman dealing in haulage and ornaments, resident at No. 3, Fred Soyebode St., Magodo, Lagos.
    In a graphic detail, Evans described how he was tortured by police officers after his arrest.
    “Insp. Haruna (member of IG’s Intelligence Response Team) took me to Abuja and brought me back to Lagos, where I was at the I-G’s Guest House at Obalende, Lagos.
    “Sunny, the 2 I/C (second in command) to Abba Kyari, Head of the IRT, Mr Christian Ugu, Mr Phillip and other police officers working with them were there.
    “Haruna brought about 25 sheets of paper and asked me to sign; that day, my mind told me not to sign because it might be my death warrant.
    “Phillip put his hand in his pocket and brought out a brown hospital card; showed it to me and told me to sign it, saying that do you think that we are joking here; he said if anything happens to me here, this card covers everything.
    “Phillip said the police will not be held responsible, and before I knew, Ugu slapped me and that was how they started beating me;” Evans told the court.
    The alleged kidnap kingpin gave more details to the court how the police officers tortured him and made him witness executions in a bid to get him to admit to his crimes.
    He said: “Mr Ugu was smoking, he quenched the cigarette on my hand. My lord, look at my head where they beat me; My Lord, look at my hand.
    “They took me to the backyard of the I-G’s guest house; I sustained injuries on my head and body, and Phillip asked the policemen to walk on me and when I started bleeding, he said you think we are joking here.
    “At the backyard, I saw some people that I was paraded with; they were wearing leg chains. Some of them had bullet wounds on their legs and Phillip ordered Haruna to bring a big brown cellotape, handkerchief and poly bags.
    “Haruna forced a handkerchief into the mouth of one of them; he used the cellotape to tightly tape his mouth and face and put a poly bag over his head and cellotaped it, and used another poly bag and cellotaped it for the second time, and they left the man on the ground.
    “The man on the ground was shaking; he pissed (urinated) on his body, he poo-pooed (defecated) on his body and, after a while, he went quiet.
    “Haruna went to the man and stepped on his body and he was unresponsive and he told me can you see I have travelled him.”
    Evans told the court that four more persons were executed in the same manner by the police officers in his presence.
    “I was brought before them, and I started begging, asking them what do they want me to do, and they told me to cooperate with them, and I said okay that I will do anything they wanted me to do.
    “Phillip asked them to take me to the house, and he asked if I knew the method of killing and I said no; they said that it is called ‘Saddam Hussein’.
    “He said that there is no way an autopsy can predict the cause of death of the five people they had just killed, and that those people have travelled.”
    Evans said after witnessing the execution, the 25 sheets of paper were brought for him to sign by the police.
    He noted he was trembling with fear and Sunny, the second in command to Abba Kyari, the Head of the IGP IRT asked Haruna to offer him a can of cold Fanta.
    “When the Fanta was given to me, I drank it and after a few minutes, they brought the 25 sheets of paper for me and I signed them.
    “Some things were written on some of the sheets of paper while some were blank; that was how I was forced to sign the confessional statements,” Evans said.
    On cross-examination by Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Evans confirmed his name and the names of his parents, and denied knowing the officers before his arrest.
    “I am 38-year-old, I was born on April 29, 1980; my mother’s name is Mrs Chinwe Onwuamadike and my father is Mr Stephen Onwuamadike.
    “I did not know Insp. Haruna, Abba Kyari, before my arrest; I’m the one in the video, I was cautioned in the video, but after the cautionary words, I was forced to sign.
    “The story I told the court was never an afterthought, SARS killed more than 30 people in my presence; the killings took place at the I-G’s guest house in Ikoyi.
    “On the day I was arrested, I was arrested in my house and I was taken to Ikeja SARS Station; journalists were there; they had
    beaten the hell out of me in my house, I was interviewed by the journalists on Sunday, a day after I was arrested on Saturday.
    “When I was taken to the station, there was a field; I was in a car while I was waiting for Abba Kyari to come.
    “Abba Kyari, when he came, told me to beg for forgiveness in my interview with journalists, and also to inform the world I had cancer which I don’t have. The police killed one Felix Chinemeri in my presence,” he said.
    While being re-examined by Ajanaku, his lawyer, Evans said that he had not spoken to journalists before he made his alleged confessional statement to the police.
    Earlier, during proceedings, Insp. Haruna was cross-examined by Ajanaku; he told the court it took more than an hour to obtain Evans’ statement.
    Haruna denied that Evans changed his clothes because of blood stains from torture, before the video of Evans giving his confessional statement was made.
    He denied editing the five-minute and 33-second video of Evans giving his statement to the police.
    “I never threatened to kill the first defendant (Evans), and I never created fear in him by killing people in his presence,” Haruna said.
    NAN reports that Evans is standing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba.
    The six were arraigned on Aug. 30, 2017 on two counts of conspiracy and kidnapping of the Chief Executive Officer of Maydon Pharmaceutical Limited, Donatus Dunu, from whose family they allegedly collected 223,000 Euros (N100 million) as ransom.
    Evans and his co-defendants had pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
    Justice Hakeem Oshodi adjourned the case until Nov. 23 for continuation of defence in the trial-within-trial.
    NAN

  • Charges against me are repetitive, quash them – Evans tells Court

    …as court fixes June 26 for hearing

    A Lagos Division of the Lagos State High Court has fixed June 26 to rule on an application brought by alleged billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (popularly known as Evans), to quash the criminal charges brought against him.

    Akintoye, the judge, fixed the date after overruling an earlier application by Evans that the charges constituted an abuse of court processes.

    According to Olukoya Ogungbeje, counsel to Evans, similar charges had been instituted against his client in other courts by the Lagos State Government. He said the charges were grossly defective, repetitive and an abuse of court processes.

    Relying on Section 153 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law ( ACJL ) of Lagos State, Mr Ogungbeje added that nothing stopped the prosecution from bringing the charges under one judge pointing out that counts three, four and five of the charges were repetitions of same offence.

    “Apart from the counts being of same offence, same section of the law is being provided in these counts,” he said.

    “I submit that the prosecution misfired by bringing different charges and instituting the same case in different courts.

    “I urge your lordship to quash the charge because it is defective and an abuse of court process,”

    In response, the prosecuting counsel, Titilayo Shitta-Bey, said the general rule is that every offence must be in a separate count.

    “It will be against the provisions of the law to lump the two offences in one count,” she added.

    She said the first defendant, Evans, was charged with attempt to murder one James Uduji in count three, while in count four, he was charged with attempt to murder Donald Nwoye.

    She also said that other charges filed against the first defendant in other courts involved other defendants and different charges. She, therefore, urged the court to dismiss the application.

    Counsel to the second defendant urged the court to dismiss the charges against Linus Okpara, his client, stating that no prima facie had been established against him.

    Jude Igbanoi, counsel to the third defendant, said, “I will align myself with the arguments made by the first defendant.

    “I urge this honourable court to quash the charge, there is nothing in the proof of evidence linking the third defendant to the charge”

    In response however, Ms Shitta-Bey said the proof of evidence disclosed a prima facie case against Mr Okpara.

    She said the proof of evidence disclosed where the third defendant admitted collecting N2 million for the first defendant in relation to one of the victims, Uche Okoroafor. She, therefore, urging the court to dismiss the argument of the third defendant.

    The case was adjourned to June 26 for ruling by the judge.

    Evans is charged alongside Joseph Emeka, Ugochukwu Nwachukwu and Victor Aduba in a fresh two count charge bordering on conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping and attempted murder

    In the second charge, Evans is being tried alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba in a three count charge before the same judge

    Evans is also facing trial before Hakeem Oshodi and Oluwatoyin Taiwo, judges at the Ikeja Division of the Lagos State High Court.

  • How I paid Evans 232,000 euros for release of my boss – witness

    An employee of Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Mr Uchenna Okagwu, on Friday told an Ikeja High Court how he paid 232,000 Euros (about N99.76 million) to alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans, to secure the release of an abductee.

    Okagwu said that he paid the sum to the Nnewi, Anambra-born kidnapper, to secure the release of his kidnapped boss, Mr Donatus Dunu, the Managing Director of the Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd.

    Evans, who is facing trial alongside Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba.

    Okagwu, a Manager at Maydon Pharmaceuticals Ltd., while being led in evidence by Ms Titilayo Shitta-Bey, the Director of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions, said that Evans and his gang threatened him that any mistake made in the delivery of the ransom would cost him his life.

    “I have been working with Maydon Pharmaceuticals Company for over seven years, after we heard of the kidnap of Mr Donatus Dunu, we waited to hear from the kidnappers so we know what to do to rescue him.

    “As the manager of the Idumota branch, we worked towards raising money for the kidnappers when they asked for ransom.

    “After about two months, I was called by Anselem Dunu, the brother of Mr Donatus, to deliver 232, 000 euros that was raised to the kidnappers.

    “After counting the money, we put it in a polythene bag and wrapped it very well with cello tape and I went with the money.

    “Mr Anselm gave me his phone that they would use it to direct me to where I would take the ransom.

    “I started receiving calls with the phone from the kidnappers, who warned that I should make no mistakes that if I do, I would be shot.

    Okagwu in his evidence, gave a step by step account of how he delivered the ransom to Evans.

    He said: “I was asked if I knew the way towards Mile 2 and I said yes. I went with the money inside the vehicle, putting the money under the passengers’ seat in the front and I moved towards Mile 2.

    “I received another call and I asked if I should follow Oshodi Isale or Oshodi Oke they said I should follow Oshodi Oke.

    “I was driving slowly so I entered service lane so I won’t cause traffic. I left the house before 8 p.m. I was asked to enter the express when I got to Ijesha so they will not collect the money from me.”

    “I was asked if I know the eatery at Apple Junction, called Tank and Tummy and I said yes and was told to park there.

    “I waited for about 15 to 20 minutes and was directed to move to Apple Junction at Festac and I was asked to put on the inner light of the vehicle and drive slowly.

    “I was directed towards Okota and was told to get to a street immediately after the canal where commercial motorcyclists stay.

    “I was asked to drive down the street and was asked to describe everything I see and should tell them when I see a blinking light on an electric pole.

    “I was told to turn back at a point and go left from where I entered. I was told to turn back again towards where I came from to the end of the street and told to turn back again.

    “At a point, I was asked to park, get down from the vehicle with the ransom and walk back.

    “As I walked to the back of my vehicle and I was three steps away, I was asked to drop the ransom, I did so and was told to move immediately after dropping the money.

    “As I looked around, I only saw a vehicle parked at the beginning of the street with full lights on, the vehicle looked like an SUV.”

    During cross-examination, Mr Olukoya Ogungbeje, the Defence Counsel to Evans, Amadi, Uchechukwu and Nwachukwu, asked Okagwu if he saw anyone when he dropped off the ransom.

    Answering, Okagwu denied seeing anyone when he was delivering the ransom, adding that he did not give the money directly to any person.

    Defence Counsel to Ifeanyi, Mr A.A. Uzoukwu and Aduba, Mr Emmanuel Ochai, declined to cross-examine Okagwu.

    Earlier during proceedings, Ogungbeje had told the court that he would refrain from further cross-examining Dunu, the kidnap victim on the grounds that he refused to answer his questions.

    Ogungbeje claimed Dunu preferred to give answers to questions he (Dunu) had formulated in his mind.

    “Since the second prosecution witness is not willing to answer the questions I pose to him in this cross-examination and my complaints to the court in this regard are not considered, I shall stop further cross-examination,” Ogungbeje said.

    Responding to Ogungbeje’s submission, Justice Hakeem Oshodi said: “It is quite unfortunate that the legal counsel can make such statement that the witness is not answering his questions.

    “It is his prerogative to conduct his defence as he deems fit. The court hereby closes cross-examination on behalf of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants and call on the counsel for the 5th defendant to cross-examine the witness. ”

    Uzoukwu and Ochai also declined to cross-examine Dunu.

    Re-examining Dunu, Shitta-Bey asked him to clarify what he meant about the disparity in dates written in his statement to the police being a mistake.

    He said: “When I wrote the statement, it was immediately after I escaped. I wasn’t myself at that point that is why I made the mistake of writing April 14, instead of Feb.14 as my capture date,” Dunu said.

    Oshodi adjourned the case until June 22 for continuation of trial.

    NAN

  • Notorious kidnapper, Evans misses life in ‘Magodo’ laments maltreatment in prison

    Alleged kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, a.k.a. Evans, broke down in tears on Monday before the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere, where he was arraigned on fresh two charges of kidnapping.

    After initially refusing to come down from the prison van in protest, he was eventually brought into the courtroom by warders on the order of Justice Adedayo Akintoye.

    Stepping into the courtroom bare-footed and in handcuffs, Evans, who wore a pair of shorts and a green T-shirt torn on the shoulder with sand stain on the back, immediately indicated to the judge that he had something to say.

    “I have an explanation to make,” he said. “Since I have been in the maximum prison, they have been maltreating me; no visit, they don’t feed me well, I have eye problem and I can not see afar.”

    But he was countered by one of the prison officials who maintained that Evans was being given the same treatment as other inmates.

    “We have been treating him very well; he is well fed and people have been visiting him.

    “A doctor has been checking him; the doctor came to check him yesterday (Sunday) and even this morning, before coming to court; because he was saying he can’t be in court, that he is not feeling fine.

    “But when the doctor checked him yesterday (Sunday) and this morning, the doctor said he was healthy and that he saw no reason why he shouldn’t be in court,” the prison official said.

    But Evans said he was only seen by a nurse and not a doctor.

    Counsel for the second defendant, Ogedi Ogbu, told the court that his client, Joseph Emeka, had also made the same complaints to him.

    But the Lagos State Director of Prosecutions, Ms. Titilayo Shitta-Bey, said Evans was only making up an excuse, urging the court not to buy it.

    “That was the same thing he said before an Ikeja High Court and we wrote the prisons and they wrote us back that he was being taken care of like every other inmate,” Shitta-Bey said.

    Reacting, Justice Akintoye directed the prison officials to ensure that Evans and his co-defendants were treated like other inmates, noting that they were still presumed innocent.

    On the request of Evans’ lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje, who had earlier written to the court, praying that the case be stood down, the judge stood the case down.

    But as soon as the judge rose, Evans broke down in tears.

    “What have I done to you people? They have been beating me; no good food; I have been locked up in one place since August 30 last year; why are they taking my case personally? Let me face my trial alive, why do you people want to kill me,” he said, sobbing.

    About then, his lawyer, Ogungbeje, came into the courtroom and began to pacify him.
    The defendants were eventually arraigned on the fresh charges.

    Evans was arraigned alongside Joseph Emeka, Linus Okpara and Victor Aduba. The charges border on “conspiracy and unlawful capture.”

    The state alleged in the charges that the defendants conspired with some persons still at large to “unlawfully capture one Uche Okorafor on the 21st of November 2014, at Festac Town, Lagos; and demanded a random of $2m.”

    The DPP said they acted contrary to sections 409 and 269 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2011, adding that they were liable to punishment under the same law.

    But they pleaded not guilty.

    Justice Akintoye adjourned till May 25, 2018 for commencement of trial.

  • Drama as notorious kidnapper, Evans refuses to come down from ‘Black Maria’

    There was mild drama at the Igbosere High Court on Monday after notorious kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, also known as Evans refused to come down from the prison van, otherwise known as Black Maria.

    TheNewsGuru.com gathered that Evans, who is currently facing charges bordering on conspiracy to kidnap and attempted murder, was expected to appear in court today as part of his ongoing trial.

    Drama, however, ensued on getting to the court premises as the suspect stayed glued in the van and refused to come down.

    DCP Abba Kyari, who confirmed this to our reporter, said it took the intervention of the judge, Justice Adedayo Akintoye, who ordered that he should bundled into the court.

    Kyari said, “There was drama in Igbosere court today as Evans refused to come down from black maria to enter the court, not until the sitting judge ordered that he should be bundled to the court.

    “The warder also said he had refused to follow them from prison but he was dragged.”

  • NPS denies starving Evans, says he eats three meals daily

    The Nigerian Prisons Service, NPS on Saturday denies maltreating notorious kidnap kingpin, Chukwudidumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans.

    The spokesperson for the NPS in Lagos, Rotimi Oladokun, said this on Saturday while reacting to Evans’ allegation that he was being starved in prison.

    Evans, who is facing charges bordering on kidnapping before a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja, also alleged through his counsel, that he was not allowed to have a bath.

    However, Oladokun, in an interview with our correspondent, debunked the allegations.

    He claimed that Evans was given three meals daily like other inmates.

    Oladokun said, “It was misinformation on his part. He has always been treated like any normal prisoner. He is well fed and well taken care of with all the amenities provided (for him).

    “He has access to medical facilities and everything. He is being treated properly. It is not true that he was not given food for five days. Every inmate is entitled to three square meals daily.”

  • Absence of judge stalls Evans’ trial

    The proposed trial of suspected kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike alias Evans was on stalled on Monday at an Ikeja high court owing to the absence of the trial Judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo.

    It was gathered that the trial judge, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo was on official assignment with the Chief Judge, Justice Opeyemi Oke.

    The matter was therefore adjourned till June 16 for continuation of trial by the court registrar.

    At the last proceedings, two Compact Disks (CDs) showing video recordings of Evans confessing to his crimes was shown and admitted in evidence by court.

    The video showed Evans confessing to kidnapping of his victims and to armed robbery within and outside Lagos state.

    The clips from the video were played while the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Titi Shitta-Bey was leading a witness, Inspector Idowu Haruna in evidence-in-chief

    The video showed him smiling occasionally as he narrated his escapdes in bank robberies and kidnapping.

    Evans said the Ransome collected ranged from $250,000 to $1million depending on the victim.

    Evans in the video was also heard giving details of his family background, how he ran away from home, went into armed robbery and later kidnapping.

    While giving evidence, Haruna said Evans, during interrogation, gave them names and information about the people he had kidnapped in Lagos and in other states.

    “He confessed that on June 28, 2014, at Saka Street., Amuwo-Odofin in Lagos, he was armed with an Ak47 gun and he kidnapped Mr Sylvanus Ahanonu, taking him to their hideout in a danfo bus.

    “After holding the victim for nine weeks, they contacted his family demanding $2million. We negotiated with his family and they agreed to pay $420,000” adding that the money was paid by installments.

    Haruna had stated further that after Sylvanus regained his freedom, he gave a statement to the police.

    He stated further that the victim’s wife, Mrs Chinyemere Ahanonu who negotiated his release and his brother Dominic Ahanonu who dropped off the ransome all volunteered statements.

    Evans is standing trial alongside co-defendant, Victor Aduba.

    They are facing a four-count charge of kidnapping of Sylvanus Ahanonu Afia and for unlawful possession of firearms.

    Evans is also facing similar charges before Justice Hakeem Oshodi also of Ikeja High Court.

     

  • Police promote 45 officers for arresting Evans, gang members

    The Police Service Commission, PSC has approved special promotion for 45 police officers and acting appointments for another 13 officers who played major roles in the arrest of a suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumuje Onuoamadike, a.k.a. Evans, and 21 members of his gang.

    The officers are of the Intelligence Response Team, Special Tactical Squad and the Technical Intelligence Unit under the direct supervision and coordination of the IG Monitoring Unit at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.

    The commission said it took the decision in Abuja on Thursday, at its 27th plenary meeting which began in Abuja on Tuesday and was presided over by its Chairman, Dr. Mike Okiro, a retired Inspector-General of Police.

    The Head, Press and Public Relations, PSC, Ikechukwu Ani, said in a statement in Abuja that the promotion and acting appointments were based on “the superlative performance of the officers in the arrest of the deadly gang who terrorised Nigerians.”

    “The promotion and acting appointments were also necessitated by the need to match rank with schedules of duty either being performed or to be performed by the officers and for their acts of gallantry and courage exhibited in the course of duty,” Ani added.

    He quoted Okiro as saying that the new ranks would greatly motivate the officers for improved performance.

    The promoted officers included the Head of the IG Monitoring Unit, DCP Habu Sani, who has been directed to appear before the commission on Friday (Today) for an interactive session in line with the policy for officers transiting to the rank of commissioner.

    Others are two Assistant Commissioners of Police who were elevated to Deputy Commissioner, one Chief Superintendent of Police to Assistant Commissioner of Police, one Superintendent of Police to Chief Superintendent, 16 Assistant Superintendents of Police to Deputy Superintendent and 24 Inspectors to Assistant Superintendent.

     

  • Evans, TB Joshua, Rev King, others won’t escape justice – LASG assures

    The Lagos State Government on Wednesday said suspected kidnapping kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans will not escape justice.

    It also assured that the duo of Prophet T.B. Joshua, founder of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) and Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King, General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly would receive their judgements from the courts soon.

    Recall that Evans, who was arrested at his mansion in Magodo area of Lagos last year, is being prosecuted by the State Government in court alongside others for masterminding and executing series of high profile kidnappings and murder in the State.

    The State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem, who said this at the ongoing Ministerial Press Briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, said the State Government was committed to ensuring the logical conclusion of all pending cases in court and serve justice to the people.

    “On the Evans’ matter, the cases filed against him are ongoing in court. The issue is that the lawyer representing him is trying to play some games to delay the matter but in all his games, we have been defeating him in court.

    “We have filed different cases. Some are for kidnapping and some bordered on murder and his lawyer is fighting all the cases but what I can assure the people is that we are committed to ensure the matter is concluded and defeat him at the end of the day,” Kazeem said.

    While reeling out activities of the agencies under the Ministry in the last one year, the Attorney General said the State Government received and treated a total number of 11,451 cases through the Special Task Force Against Land Grabbers, Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team (DSVRT) and the Special Offences (Mobile) Court in the last one year.

    He said the government also received 316 inquiries through the recently unveiled first state-owned DNA and Forensic Centre with 71 active cases currently ongoing bordering on homicide, rape, toxicology, child trafficking, serology, among others.

    According to Kazeem, the Anti-Land Grabbers Task Force designed by the present administration to fight the menace of forceful take-over of properties received 1300 petitions out of which 855 were concluded and 530 currently at various stages of resolution.

    “In the period under review, over 35 arrests of suspected notorious land grabbers were effected while 26 criminal prosecution cases against suspected land grabbers are presently ongoing,” the Attorney General said.

    Besides, the Attorney General said in a bid to enhance due diligence in property transaction, the State Government introduced the Real Estate Electronic Litigation Database designed for the provision of access to information primarily on properties which are subject of litigation, adding that since its launch, the portal has recorded over 1,000,000 hits and over 10,000 consistent users from Nigeria, United States, United Kingdom, South Africa and others.

    He added that through the Citizens’ Mediation Centre (CMC), the State Government received a total number of 47,292 new cases free of charge out of which 25,191 were resolved with others at various stages of resolution.

    “The total value of settlement of debt related matters achieved by the Centre during the period under review from May 2017 to April 2018 as settlement between parties was N1,352,745,391,” the Attorney General said, among other achievements by the State Government in the justice sector.

    Speaking on Hotel and Restaurant Consumption (Fiscalization) Regulations 2018, Kazeem clarified that it was neither a new law nor an additional tax, but a regulation aimed at ensuring that government gets due revenue.

    “It is a regulation and not a new law. It was made pursuant to an existing law that was already in operation. What this regulation essentially seeks to do is to allow the government to put certain equipment in the restaurant and hospitality organizations to properly monitor the revenue that is coming so we can know what exactly is due to the State Government.

    “It is not an additional tax; it is just to enhance transparency in collection of taxes that are due to the State. So, I want to clarify that carefully,” Kazeem said.

    On other high profile cases, he said it was gratifying to report that the cases were progressing in court, saying the Synagogue Church case for instance on the collapsed building which killed people was progressing well, adding that a no case submission filed by the accused persons instead of defending the case was recently dismissed by the Court, while the General Overseer of the Christian Praying Assembly, Rev. Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a Reverend King who is presently on death roll imposed by the court would have his fate determined in due course.