JUDICIARY
Alleged $1.6m Fraud: Court Dismisses Pastor’s No case Submission

An Ikeja Special Offences Court on Tuesday dismissed a No Case Submission filed by a Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Ayodeji Oluokun, standing trial for alleged issuance of dud cheques of $1.6 million.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo, in her ruling held that the prosecution had established a sufficient prima facie case against the defendant.
“After carefully considering the submissions of the prosecution and the defence, the court at this stage is not not to review the evidence of the prosecution but to see whether the prosecution has put enough evidence before the court to warrant the defendant to defend his case.
“The prosecution called seven witnesses and tendered several documents.
The evidence of the prosecution shows that the prosecution has sufficiently proven a prima facie case against the defendant.“I hereby dismiss the application of the defence and order that the defendant to open his defence,” Taiwo ruled.
The last proceedings, the defence counsel, Mr Edoka Onyeke, had argued that the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against the defendant.
He, had therefore asked the court to dismiss the charge against his client.
However, Mr Samuel Daaji, Counsel to the Economic and Financial Commission (EFCC) had asked the court to determine whether the evidence adduced by the prosecution sufficiently linked the defendant to the offenses to warrant him to be called upon to open his defence.
The prosecution had closed its case against the on October 2021 after calling the 7th witness.
The defendant, who was an oil marketer and an assistant pastor of RCCG, City of David Parish, Victoria Island, Lagos, was charged before the court alongside his oil firm, Peak Petroleum Industry Nigeria Ltd. by the EFCC.
The defendant and his company were first arraigned before the court on Jan. 21, 2019, on a six-count amended charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretense, stealing and issuance of dud cheques.
The defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charge and was admitted to bail.
The EFCC, in a charge, marked ID/8509c/19, alleged that the defendant and his company, had sometime in 2014, approached the management of GOSL Nigeria Limited for a loan of $1.6 million to enable him to carry out operational activities in his company’s oil field in Bayelsa State.
The prosecution alleged that the defendant had assured the complainant that he would repay the money within 60 days.
Following the defendant’s failure to repay the loan as promised, he was alleged to have issued two post-dated Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria Limited cheques dated June 26, 2014, for the sum of $1.6 million.
The EFCC stated that upon presentation of the cheques to the bank for withdrawal by the complainant on several occasions, they were returned due to insufficient funds.
According to the prosecution, the alleged offences contravened Section 1(1) (b) of the Dishonoured Cheques (Offences) Act, Cap, D 11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Taiwo adjourned the case until June 10 for the defendant to open defence. (NAN)
CRIME
3 Docked for Allegedly Breaking into Bank, Stealing Laptops

Three men, Olufemi Faleti, 59, Ayoade Adewale 41 and Idowu Yusuf, 41, on Friday, were brought before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court Ibadan charged with breaking into a bank and stealing laptops.
The defendants,whose addresses were not provided, were charged with conspiracy, house breaking and stealing, to which they pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Insp Elisha Tellang told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences on March 24, at 7:30 p.
m, at First Bank, Asogo, Oyo.He alleged that the defendants broke into the bank and stole two laptops worth N800, 000.
Tellang said the offences contravened Sections 516, 413 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
The Magistrate, Mrs Moyosore Atanda granted each defendant bail in the sum of N300,000 and with two sureties each in like sum.
She adjourned the case until Sept. 8, for hearing. (NAN)
CRIME
Ex-convict Bags 2 years Imprisonment for Stealing Speaker, Mobile Phone

An Ota Magistrate’s Court in Ogun, on Friday, sentenced a 21-year-old ex-convict, Habeeb Jimoh, to two years imprisonment for stealing a Zealot speaker, Infinix mobile phone and other goods worth N595,000.
In her judgment, the Magistrate, Mrs O.
O.
Fadairo, sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment without an option of fine.Fadairo said that the prosecution counsel had proven beyond reasonable doubt that he was guilty of the charge preferred against him.
The convict, of no fixed address, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. E. O. Adaraloye, told the court that the convict committed the offence on May 28, at about 3.
00 a.m. at Singer area, Ewupe in Sango-Ota.Adaraloye said that the security guard identified him after stealing a Zealot speaker, an Infinix phone and other items, worth N595,000, after which he fled.
According to him, the offence contravenes Section 390 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006. (NAN)
CRIME
Man Bangs 7 years Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a 24-year-old man, Emmanuel Chekwube, to seven years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
Justice Lewis Allagoa sentenced the convict after he had pleaded guilty to the four-count charge of drug trafficking.
Allagoa, however, gave the convict an option of five million naira fine.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned Chekwube on charges of conspiracy, illegal storage of restricted drug, unlawful use of premises to store banned narcotics and unlawful deal in narcotics.
He had pleaded guilty to the charges.
Following his plea, the Prosecutor, Ms M.
I. Erondu, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered several exhibits before the court, such as: a statement of the defendant, a drug analysis form and packaging of substance form.Also tendered were: remnant of the narcotics, request for scientific aid form and transparent pouch, among others.
The prosecutor then urged the court to convict the defendant based on his plea as well as the evidences adduced.
Consequently, the judge convicted the defendant as charged.
Before the sentence, the defence had prayed the court to tamper justice with mercy, saying that as his client was a first time offender and that he would turn a new leaf.
Delivering his verdict afterwards, Allagoa sentenced Chekwube to seven years imprisonment on each count, which, he said, would run concurrently.
He, however, gave the convict an option of five million naira fine.
In the charge, the convict was said to have committed the offences on May 7 at Amukoko, Ijora area of Lagos.
He was said to have used the premises to engage in illegal storage of 56.2 kg Tramadol Hydrochloride, 1.2 kg Nitrazepam and 72g of Swinol
All the substances are said to have been listed in the NDLEA schedule as banned narcotics, thus contravening the provisions of Sections 12 and 14(b) of NDLEA Act, 2004. (NAN)