AFTER N2.5M FINE, COURT THREATENS EVANS WITH MORE PENALTIES
JUSTICE KAYODE OGUNJOBI OF AN IGBOSERE HIGH COURT SITTING AT THE TAFAWA BALEWA SQUARE (TBS) HAS THREATENED TO IMPOSE FURTHER COSTS ON CONVICTED KIDNAP KINGPIN, CHUKWUDUMEME ONWUAMADIKE, A.K.A. EVANS, FOR DELAYING A £223,000 POUNDS SUIT.
ONE OF EVANS’ KIDNAP VICTIMS, DONATUS DURU, FILED THE SUIT IN 2018 DEMANDING A RETURN OF THE £223,000 POUNDS HE PAID TO EVANS AS RANSOM TO FREE HIMSELF FROM THE KINGPIN’S CUSTODY.
DURU IS ALSO DEMANDING THE SUM OF N50MILLION AS DAMAGES AT 20 PER CENT INTEREST.
JUSTICE OGUNJOBI, BEFORE WHOM THE MATTER IS, HAS ALREADY IMPOSED COSTS OF N2.5MILLION ON EVANS.
AT RESUMPTION OF PROCEEDINGS ON WEDNESDAY, THE JUSTICE OGUNJOBI THREATENED TO IMPOSE ANOTHER COST ON THE CONVICT FOR HIS DELAY TACTICS OVER HIS CHOICE OF LAWYER AND CRITCISED EVANS’ CONDUCT WHICH HE SAYS IS HURTING EVERYBODY” AND COSTING THE LAGOS STATE GOVERNMENT MONEY”.
WHEN THE CASE WAS CALLED, A LAWYER, MAXWELL CHUKWUEMEKA, ANNOUNCED HE WAS SEEKING TO REPRESENT THE DEFENDANT (EVANS) IN THE CASE.
EVANS HAD ON MARCH THE 3RD, 2022, APPLIED TO THE COURT TO BE ALLOWED TO DEFEND HIMSELF.
BUT CHUKWUEMEKA TOLD THE COURT HE HAD FILED TWO APPLICATIONS – A MOTION FOR CHANGE OF COUNSEL AND A MOTION FOR AMENDMENT OF THE DEFENDANT’S STATEMENT OF DEFENCE.
DURU’S COUNSEL, D. O. OBIORA, SAID THE DEFENDANT HAD BEEN CHANGING COUNSEL BUT DID NOT OPPOSE THE APPLICATIONS SAYING THE COURT DELIVERED A RULING ON MAY THE 23RD, GRANTING LEAVE FOR THE DEFENDANT TO FILE ITS STATEMENT OF DEFENCE AND WONDERED HOW EVANS WAS SEEKING LEAVE TO AMEND A DEFENCE HE HAD YET TO FILE.
JUSTICE OGUNJOBI WHO GRANTED BOTH APPLICATIONS SAYS THE MATTER HAS SUFFERED SEVERAL ADJOURNMENTS.
THE JUSTICE HAS THEREFORE ADJOURNED THE CASE TILL JULY 13 FOR THE DEFENCE TO OPEN ITS CASE.
House Of Reps Approve Special Bank For Entrepreneurship Development
The House of Representatives has passed for second reading, a bill seeking to establish an Entrepreneurship Development Bank of Nigeria, with the aim of providing soft loans for small and medium-scale enterprises in the country.
The consolidated bill was reportedly jointly sponsored by Benjamin Kalu and Olalekan Afolabi
Kalu, while leading the debate on the bill at the plenary on Wednesday, said the proposed bank would be charged with the responsibility of providing medium and long-term finance for indigenous small businesses, among other things.
Owo massacre: AIG apologises to monarch, vows to nab perpetrators
The new Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 17, Yunus Akeera, has apologized to the Olowo of Owo land, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, and the community over the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.
Akeera, who resumed on Monday, stated this on Wednesday during a condolence visit to the monarch, sayinf the police will henceforth engage the community in order to prevent recurrence.
The AIG also visited the scene of the attack, and assured that the police is working tirelessly to unravel the facts surrounding the dastardly attack.
Recall that about 40 persons were killed while many were injured by some terrorists who attacked the church
Three people killed in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash: FRSC
THE FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY CORPS (FRSC) HAS CONFIRMED THE DEATH OF THREE PERSONS IN MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS AT MILE 12, OGERE, ON THE LAGOS-IBADAN EXPRESSWAY THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING.
THE OGUN FRSC SECTOR COMMANDER AHMED UMAR, SAID THE ACCIDENT, WHICH OCCURRED AROUND 3 A.M., INVOLVED AN UNREGISTERED TRUCK, A REGISTERED TRUCK, AND A NISSAN MICRA CAR.
UMAR SAYS THE ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED BY SPEEDING AND DANGEROUS DRIVING, AS ONE DRIVER WAS TRYING TO NEGOTIATE A BEND WHEN THE OTHER TRUCK WHICH WAS COMING FROM IBADAN, RAMMED INTO IT.
THE DRIVER OF THE MICRA CAR RAN INTO THE ACCIDENT, BUT THE VEHICLE SUFFERED LITTLE DAMAGE.
HE SAID SEVEN PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT, INCLUDING ONE WOMAN AND SIX MEN, SAYING THE REMAINS OF THE DECEASED HAVE BEEN DEPOSITED AT THE FOS MORGUE, IPARA.
Army denies planned protest by personnel over welfare
THE NIGERIAN ARMY HAS DENIED A REPORT ALLEGING THAT SOME SERVING OFFICERS, ARE PLANNING TO STORM ABUJA, TO PROTEST UNPAID EMOLUMENTS AND POOR WORKING CONDITIONS.
THE ARMY DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS, BRIGADIER GENERAL ONYEMA NWACHUKWU, WHO RESPONDED TO THE CLAIMS THIS WEDNESDAY, SAID THE REPORTS ARE BASELESS, UNSUBSTANTIATED AND AN ATTEMPT BY SOME FACELESS ENEMIES TO DENT THE IMAGE OF THE MILITARY.
NWACHUKWU SAID OFFICERS OF THE SERVICE WITNESSED EXCEPTIONAL POSITIVE CHANGES IN THE MORAL AND PHYSICAL COMPONENTS OF THE FORCE, SAYING THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP HAS PROVIDED A CONDUCTIVE ENVIRONMENT, WHILE ALL THE LOGISTICS EQUIPMENT HAVE BEEN INJECTED INTO THE THEATRES OF OPERATIONS.
HE SAID THE ARMY HAS PROVIDED WELFARE PACKAGES, PROMPT PAYMENT OF SALARIES, OPERATIONAL ALLOWANCES, MEDICAL FACILITIES, AND WELFARE FLIGHTS TO REDUCE THE BURDEN OF TROOPS TRAVELLING IN AND OUT OF THE THEATRES TO SEE THEIR LOVED ONES.
JAMB to probe CBT centres over extortion, threatens fine
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, is set to commence investigations into reported cases of extortions by some operators of Computer Based Test centres.
Reports have it that JAMB had announced a fixed rate for the 2022 UTME/DE registration and also provided relief for CBT operators due to the hike in diesel price.
However, the examination body noted that some CBT operators still extorted candidates.
Reports say the CBT operators found guilty will be subjected to payment of N100,000 fine.
Buhari to Swear in Justice Ariwoola as Acting CJN Today
PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI IS EXPECTED TO SWEAR JUSTICE OLUKAYODE ARIWOOLA AS THE NEW CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA (CJN) TODAY FOLLOWING THE RESIGNATION OF JUSTICE IBRAHIM TANKO MUHAMMAD ON HEALTH GROUNDS.
JUSTICE ARIWOOLA WHO THE MOST SENIOR JUSTICE OF THE SUPREME COURT WILL BE SWORN-IN TODAY BY 2PM.
BORN ON 22 AUGUST 1958, JUSTICE ARIWOOLA WAS FORMERLY A JUSTICE OF THE COURT OF APPEAL AND WAS ELEVATED TO THE SUPREME COURT BENCH.
Chief Justice of Nigeria Tanko Mohammed resigns
JUSTICE TANKO MOHAMMED HAS RESIGNED FROM HIS POSITION AS THE CHIEF JUSTICE OF NIGERIA (CJN).
MOHAMMED RESIGNED IN A LETTER TO PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI.
HIS RESIGNATION COMES AMID THE CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS LEVELED AGAINST HIM BY SOME SUPREME COURT JUDGES.
FOURTEEN SUPREME COURT JUDGES IN A PROTEST MEMO, ACCUSED MOHAMMED OF NOT GIVING JUSTICES THEIR LEGITIMATE ENTITLEMENTS.
THE JUSTICES SAID THEIR ANNUAL FOREIGN TRAINING, MEANT TO ENHANCE CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE COUNTRY’S JUDICIAL PROCESS, HAD BEEN BLOCKED BY MUHAMMAD.
THE MAIN ISSUES PUT FORWARD BY THE JUSTICES IN THEIR LETTER THROUGH A WELFARE COMMITTEE WERE; NON-REPLACEMENT OF POOR VEHICLES; ACCOMMODATION PROBLEM; LACK OF DRUGS AT THE SUPREME COURT CLINIC; EPILEPTIC ELECTRICITY SUPPLY TO THE SUPREME COURT; INCREASE IN ELECTRICITY TARIFF; NO INCREASE IN THE ALLOWANCES FOR DIESEL; LACK OF INTERNET SERVICES TO RESIDENCES AND CHAMBERS.
IN RESPONSE, MOHAMMED TOLD THE JUDGES THAT THE SUPREME COURT WAS CASH-STRAPPED AND CANNOT GRANT THEIR REQUESTS.
CJN NOTED THAT THE SUPREME COURT, LIKE ANY OTHER ESTABLISHMENT IN THE COUNTRY, HAS BEEN HIT BY A DEVASTATING ECONOMIC CRUNCH.
AS A RESULT, HE SAID THE LEADERSHIP OF THE COURT UNDER HIM COULD NO LONGER MEET SOME OF ITS OBLIGATIONS TO JUSTICES, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF WELFARE.
HE, HOWEVER, SAID THAT THE MEMO SENT TO HIM BY THE AGGRIEVED JUSTICES, NOTWITHSTANDING, THERE IS NO RIFT BETWEEN HIM AND JUSTICES OF THE APEX COURT.
BUHARI SWORE IN MOHAMMED AS THE ACTING CJN IN JANUARY 2019 FOLLOWING THE SUSPENSION AND LATER SACK OF FORMER CJN WALTER ONNOGHEN.
Insecurity: Makinde Approves Recruitment Of 500 Additional Amotekun Corps
OYO STATE GOVERNOR, SEYI MAKINDE, HAS APPROVED THE RECRUITMENT OF ADDITIONAL 500 MEN FOR THE STATE’S WESTERN NIGERIA SECURITY NETWORK (WNSN), CODE-NAMED AMOTEKUN CORPS.
MAKINDE DISCLOSED THIS, AT THE WEEKEND, DURING A SECURITY MEETING WITH LOCAL COUNCIL CHAIRMEN, VICE CHAIRMEN, HEADS OF SECURITY AGENCIES, TRADITIONAL RULERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS AT THE HOUSE OF CHIEFS SECRETARIAT IN IBADAN. HE SAID THE MEASURE WAS TO ENHANCE SECURITY OF LIFE AND PROPERTY IN THE STATE.
MAKINDE TOLD THE STAKEHOLDERS THAT SECURITY ISSUE IS A COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY THAT REQUIRES THAT ALL HANDS MUST BE ON DECK.
Supreme Court set to rule on controversial Electoral Act
THE SUPREME COURT HAS STRUCK OUT A SUIT FILED AGAINST SECTION 84(12) OF THE ELECTORAL ACT, 2022, BY PRESIDENT MUHAMMADU BUHARI AND THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION (AGF) AND MINISTER OF JUSTICE ABUBAKAR MALAMI.
IN A UNANIMOUS DECISION BY A SEVEN-MAN PANEL LED BY JUSTICE MUHAMMAD DATTIJO, THE SUPREME COURT HELD THAT IT LACKED THE JURISDICTION TO ENTERTAIN THE SUIT.
THE APEX COURT ALSO HELD THAT THE SUIT AMOUNTED TO AN ABUSE OF THE JUDICIAL PROCESS.
THE SUPREME COURT FURTHER HELD THAT BUHARI WAS NOT A PROPER PERSON TO APPROACH IT WITH SUCH A SUIT, OWING TO THE NATURE OF THE RELIEFS SOUGHT.
DELIVERING THE LEAD JUDGMENT, JUSTICE AOKMAYE AGIM NOTED THAT BUHARI, HAVING EARLIER ASSENTED TO SECTION 84(12) OF THE ELECTORAL ACT 2022, CANNOT TURN AROUND TO APPROACH THE COURT TO STRIKE IT DOWN.