TheNewsGuru

Tag: lawyer

  • Just in: Evans sues police, seeks release of his Magodo buildings

    Suspected kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, has filed a fresh suit against the Police at a Federal High Court sitting in Lagos.

    This time, Evans wants the court to compel the police to immediately and unconditionally release his two residential houses located in Magodo area of Lagos State.

    He also wants the court to order the police and its leadership to severally and jointly tender an apology as well as pay him the sum of N1 billion.

    The N1billion he said is general and exemplary damages for the alleged forceful seizure and confiscation of his properties without a court order and perpetual injunction restraining them from tampering or taking any action against him or any of his properties in relation to this case.

    Apart front the two residential houses, Evans also listed his other seized properties to include N50 million cash, a wrist-watch worth $170,000, a phone worth $30,000 and five pieces of Saphono Rucci Diamond rings worth $100,000.

    Others are three Italian travel bags worth $55,000 dollars, 10 Spanish shoes each worth N2.5 million, 20 KVA inverter set worth N10 million and two sets of dining table worth N8 million.

    The applicant also wants N4 million as the cost of action against the police.

    His lawyer Olukoya Ogungbeje filed the suit against the Inspector General of Police, the Nigeria Police Force, the Intelligence Response Team, (IRT), ACP Abba Kyari and DSP Phillip Rieninwa.

    No date has however been fixed for the hearing of the suit.

  • Jibrin’s suspension: S’Court orders lawyer to pay N2m for filing frivolous appeal

    The Supreme Court has fined a lawyer, Mr. Tolu Babaleye, N2m for filing a frivolous appeal to delay the hearing of a suit filed by a former Chairman of the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin,‎ to challenge his suspension for 180 legislative days since September 28, 2016.

    A five-man panel of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, during the proceedings that held on Wednesday, delivered a unanimous bench judgment shortly after parties to the appeal adopted their papers in the course of the proceedings.

    Describing the appeal as “vexatious and frivolous”, Justice Ejembi Eko, who delivered the lead judgment of the court, ordered Babaleye to pay each of the four respondents to the appeal, including Jibrin, the sum of N500,000.

    Apart from Jibrin, the other respondents ordered to be paid N500,000 each were the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara; the House of Representatives and the Clerk of the House of Representatives.

    The court ordered that the total fine amounting to N2m must be personally paid by the lawyer.

    Babaleye had filed the appeal on behalf of two members of the House of Representatives – Nicholas Ossai and Orker-Jev Yisa – asking to be allowed to be joined as defendants to Jibrin’s case which is still pending before the Federal High Court.

    Ossai was the Chairman of House Committee on Ethics, which recommended Jibrin’s suspension and Yisa was the House member who moved the motion for the suspension of the Kano lawmaker.

    Justice John Tsoho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, where Jibrin’s substantive suit is still pending, had on April 13, 2017, dismissed the lawmakers’ joinder application, describing them as “strangers” with no interest to protect in the proceedings.

    The lawmakers had, through their lawyer, Babaleye, appealed to the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which had also in its judgment delivered on December 17, 2017, dismissed their case.

    The two legislators had further appealed to the Supreme Court.

    At the hearing of the appeal before the Supreme Court on Wednesday, the appellants’ lawyer, Babaleye, faced a torrent of questions from the members of the CJN-led panel, expressing their concerns about the frivolity of the appeal.

    In response, Babaleye maintained that the appeal was necessary and filed to enable the appellants “to clear their names”.

  • Davido is free to go about his business-Lawyer

    Davido’s legal counsel has revealed that the pop star is free to go about his business. Recall that the pop star was accused of being complicit in the death of his friend Tagbo Umeike.

     

    Speaking to newsmen, a member of Davido’s legal team , Bobo F Ajudua said that the singer has been released by the Police to go about his business, adding that he’s not guilty.

     

    “We’ve been to Panti and my client has given a statement there too. It’s clear from all the investigation, evidence and statements given so far that David was not at any point with the deceased after he left him alive at Shisha room as as such he’s been released to go about his business.

    “Of course if called on to give any more information he would gladly. But in truth he only knew so much about the night and has reproduced this time and time again. They’ve also observed the consistency between his statements and those of all the others interviewed. As as a result he’s been allowed to go” he disclosed.

  • Evans lawyer claims police extorted N50m, 25 trucks, other properties from his client

    The lawyer representing notorious kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans, has accused officers of the Inspector General of Police’s Intelligence Response Team of extorting money and valuables running into hundreds of millions of naira from his client.

    Olukoya Ogungbeje, who petitioned the Police Service Commission on Friday, also accused the officers of sexually molesting Evans’ girlfriend, Amaka Offor.

    The petition was also copied to the National Assembly, the Inspector General of Police, the National Human Rights Commission, and Amnesty International.

    The petition reads, “Our client has duly briefed us on the above captioned subject matter involving the police officers and policemen attached to the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team,”

    ‘The Evans Case and Saga: Brazen Extortion, Corruption, Gross Misconduct, Indiscipline, Sexual Molestation and Human Rights Violation Against the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team Police Officers and Policemen.’

    But in this latest development, Mr. Ogungbeje accused the police, who detained him (Evans) for almost three months, before his first appearance in court, of forcefully collecting millions of naira as well as valuables and properties from his client.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, it is our secured brief that in the course of investigating our client while being detained in the custody of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) on the allegation of kidnapping, the following under-listed items were forcefully and corruptly extorted from our client.

    1. The sum of N50, 000,000 (Fifty Million Naira) cash.
    2. Another sum of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira) sent by our client’s wife as pressured by the above policemen.
    3. Twenty-five (25) Mack Trucks forcefully taken but not listed as exhibits in the ongoing criminal trial of our client.
    4. Brigade wristwatch worth One Hundred and Seventeen (117) Thousand U.S Dollars.
    5. Pendant cross worth Seventy (70) Thousand U.S Dollars.
    6. Necklace worth Twenty-Five (25) Thousand U.S Dollars.
    7. Virtu Phone worth Thirty (30) Thousand U.S Dollars.
    8. Virtu Signature Phone worth Seventeen (17) Thousand U.S Dollars.
    9. Ten (10) Thousand U.S Dollars cash extorted by ASP Phillip Rieninwa.
    10. Five (5) Pieces of Saphono Rucci Diamond Rings worth One Hundred (100) Thousand U.S Dollars.
    11. Lexus 470 Jeep.
    12. Grand Cherokee Jeep.
    13. L 400 Mitsubishi Bus.
    14. Toyota Highlander (Gold Colour).
    15. Eighty-Five (85) Inches Samsung Television set worth 6.5 Million Naira amongst others.

    The lawyers added that, “our client also confided in us that one (Amaka Offor) his girlfriend was sexually molested and abused by the above policemen of the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT),” the petition read.
    The petition urged the Police Service Commission to conduct an investigation into the incident and invoke appropriate sanctions including dismissal against the culpable police officers.
    “Sir, you would agree with us that these allegations are too weighty to be ignored by any right-thinking Nigerian.
    “There is no gainsaying the fact that it calls for prompt investigation, inquiry and appropriate sanctions. We are using this medium as our own way of galvanizing institutional sanity, cleansing and reform in the Nigeria Police Force as an institution.
    “As we speak, the brother in law and other relations of our client are still being detained and tortured by the Inspector General of Police Intelligence Response Team (IRT) without being arraigned before a Court of law,” the petition added.

  • Photos: Lawyer turned journalist stages exhibition on the plights of IDPs in Nigeria

    A renowned lawyer turned communications strategist, mediator and conflict resolutionist, Mrs. Nwabuogo Enwerem recently staged an exhibition at Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland to give true accounts of the plights of the Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in Nigeria.

    The event which took place on Thursday, September 7 was themed “Rebuilding a new life: A story of Internally Displaced Persons.”

    According to Enwerem, the decision to present a factual, unbiased account of the situation of things in the various IDP centres in the country became necessary because the IDPs were faced with more critical circumstances than what was daily reported in the media.

    The seasoned photojournalist also promised to produce a radio documentary by November.

    Speaking exclusively with TheNewsGuru.com, Enwerem said: “I want people to see the real picture and hear the true stories. This exhibition tells the real stories of IDPs in Nigeria, stories that mainstream media will not report, the radio documentary will be coming out early November.”

     

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the IDP camps are set up by the government to temporarily take care of the casualties/victims of troubled areas in the north.

  • ‘Nnamdi Kanu may have been killed by invading soldiers’ says IPOB lawyer

    Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the lawyer representing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has alleged that his client was abducted by military operatives on September 14 and probably killed.

    Ejiofor made the allegation in a statement on Tuesday issued in reaction to insinuations that Kanu has gone into hiding.

    The statement reads in part: “I have no doubt whatsoever that stories making round that my Client has fled outside Nigeria, were planted to divert attention from their murderous raid on my client’s house.

    “I made last contact with my client few minutes into the bloody onslaught in his home on the 14th day of September 2017. Till date, I have not established further communication with him.

    “The soldiers must have made possible contact with him on this 14th day of September 2017, when they invaded his house on a bloody raid, and by virtue of which position, they should tell the world if he was caught by fire of bullets in the hit of the bloody onslaught or he was arrested alive.

    “In all probability, my client may have been killed by the invading soldiers who are now seeking ways to fool the world into believing that he has left the country. My request is that the military should produce my client wherever they kept him and stop diverting attention of the public,” Ejiofor said.

  • Only female lawyer on SAN award list loses title as LPPC postpones conferment on 29 others

    The Legal Practitioners’ Privileges Committee (LPPC) has reversed its earlier decision to award the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to a Lagos-based female lawyer, Oluwatoyin Ajoke Bashorun.

    Bashorun was the only female lawyer on the list of 30 lawyers nominated by the LPPC earlier this year.

    The LPPC announced the withdrawal of the title to Mrs. Bashorun in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday. The statement was signed by the committee’s Secretary, Hadizatu Uwani Mustapha.

    The statement said the decision to withhold the rank from Mrs. Bashorun was taken at a meeting of the LPPC held on Friday.

    However, TheNewsGuru.com reports that the statement was silent on the reason behind the sudden withdrawal of the rank to Mrs. Bashorun. It said investigation on her case was on going.

    The statement also did not say why the conferment of the rank on the remaining 29 lawyers, scheduled for September 18 has been shifted.

    Part of the statement reads: “Recall that the LPPC announced the nomination for appointment of 30 successful applicants for the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria. This was after a thorough investigation of petitions against some of the applicants which is governed by Paragraph 12(2) of the LPPC Guidelines, 2016.

    “However, after the announcement, more facts have emerged, touching on the eligibility of the otherwise successful applicants.

    “Consequent upon that, the LPPC, in an emergency meeting held today, 15th day of September, 2017, has decided to defer the conferment of the rank of SAN on Oluwatoyin Ajoke Bashorun, pending further investigation of her case by a special constituted committee set up by my lord, the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Walter Onnoghen, chairman of LPPC.”

  • My client won’t appear before you – Fayemi’s lawyer tells Ekiti probe panel

    Former Governor of Ekiti State and Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi will not appear before the Judicial Commission of Enquiry investigating the management of the state’s finances under his watch, his lawyer, Chief Rafiu Balogun, has said.

    During the panel’s sitting on Wednesday, Balogun said he was entering a “conditional appearance” of “appearance in protest” for his client.

    The lawyer said Fayemi got the panel’s summons but would not appear because of circumstances that predated the constitution of the panel.

    He applied to make an oral application, but the panel’s Chairman, Justice Silas Oyewole, advised him to make a formal application, in line with rules of the commission.

    The panel ordered Balogun to file an application excusing the former governor from appearing next Monday.

    But it ordered a Commissioner for Finance during the Fayemi administration, Mr. Dapo Kolawole, to appear before it on September 11.

    This followed Balogun’s prayer for an adjournment for Kolawole, who was summoned to give evidence on Wednesday.

    Counsel to the panel Mr. Sunday Bamise claimed a lawyer, Mr. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, got the summons on behalf of Kolawole, but another lawyer, Adeoye Aribasoye, debunked the claim.

    Aribasoye argued that he, Olanrewaju and Mr. Tajudeen Akingbolu announced appearances as “observers” at the panel’s last sitting but did not appear for Fayemi and Kolawole or ever got processes on their behalf.

    Justice Oyewole said the record before the panel showed Olanrewaju signed to receive the summons on Kolawole’s behalf, which Aribasoye may be aware of.

    The chairman said the panel was on a “fact-finding mission and not raised to crucify anybody”.

    Aribasoye added that the ex-commissioner was not properly served.

    Other parties at yesterday’s sitting were CASA Nigeria Limited, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Jichengi Yuyan Limited and officials of Ministry of Works and Transportation.

  • Court fines Evans’ lawyer N20,000 for professional misconduct

    Suspected kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans’ lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje was on Thursday slammed N20,000 “punitive cost” for professional misconduct.

    Justice Abdulazeez Anka of the Federal High Court, Lagos, said the cost must be paid before July 20.

    Evans’ fundamental rights case was billed to be heard by the Judge, but his lawyer wrote the judge claiming to be ill.

    Ogungbeje apologised for his absence and asked for adjournment.

    But, Mr Emmanuel Eze, who represented Lagos State Commissioner of Police, opposed Ogungbeje’s application for adjournment.

    He said the applicant’s lawyer did not inform the police that he would be absent, adding that any other lawyer from Ogungbeje’s office could have come to represent Evans.

    According to him, it is an “affront” to the court for Ogungbeje not to send another lawyer to stand in for him.

    “In view of this, we are of the view that the applicant’s counsel is most unserious with this application. We, therefore, ask for a punitive cost of N100,000 against the applicant and his counsel,” he said.

    Awarding the N20,000 cost, Justice Anka said: “Counsel wrote a letter seeking for an adjournment without copying the prosecution. This, to me, is unprofessional. The court hereby warns counsel to desist from such type of practice.”

    The judge said the facts before him showed that the applicant was still in police custody.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Evans recently dragged the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris before the Federal High Court in Lagos over his alleged illegal detention.

    He prayed the court to order his immediate release if they cannot arraign him in court immediately.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Evans recently filed another fresh suit against the Inspector General of Police, and three others at a Federal High Court in Lagos.

    In the new suit, Evans is claiming N300 million as general and exemplary damages against the police for “illegal detention and unconstitutional media trial”.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Evans was represented in court by Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the billionaire kingpin was arrested in Lagos on Saturday, June 10 while preparing to travel out of the country. The arrest was carried out by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and led by ACP Abba Kyari.

     

  • Evans begs for mercy, says ‘I did not ask any lawyer to sue police’

    Suspected kidnapper, Chukwudumeje Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, has said he did not ask any lawyer to sue the police in a bid to secure his release.

    Evans spoke on Sunday in an interview with Channels Television.

    Evans claimed that the lawsuit by a Lagos lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje against the police were an attempt by some people to put him in more trouble.

    He said, “I have no hand in any case filed against the police and I did not speak with any lawyer or my father to fill a case on my behalf.

    “All I will say is that they should temper justice with mercy.”

    The 36-year-old father of five said should the police release him, he would not leave detention because his kidnap victims would kill him.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Evans recently dragged the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris before the Federal High Court in Lagos over his alleged illegal detention.

    He prayed the court to order his immediate release if they cannot arraign him in court immediately.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Evans again on Thursday filed another fresh suit against the Inspector General of Police, and three others at a Federal High Court in Lagos.

    In the new suit, Evans is claiming N300 million as general and exemplary damages against the police for “illegal detention and unconstitutional media trial”.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Evans was represented in court by Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that the billionaire kingpin was arrested in Lagos on Saturday, June 10 while preparing to travel out of the country. The arrest was carried out by the Intelligence Response Team (IRT) and led by ACP Abba Kyari.