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JUDICIARY

Appeal Court Affirms Final Forfeiture of NNDC Director’s N1.8bn Properties

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A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, on Wednesday, December 15, 2021, dismissed the application filed by one Francis Momoh and affirmed the final forfeiture of properties worth N1.8billion recovered from a former Executive Director, Projects, Niger Delta Development Commission, NNDC, Tuoyo Omatsuli, to the Federal Government.

Justice Chuka A.

Obiozor of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, had, on Monday, December 10, 2018, ordered the final forfeiture of the properties which include Block 117, Plot 4, Lekki Peninsula Scheme, TPAO 992, Ikate Ancient City, Eti-Osa L.
G.A, Lagos, measuring 1804.089Sqm and Plots 1-18, Block 43, TPAO 992, Ikate Ancient City, Lekki Peninsula, Eti-Osa, Lagos, measuring 10,000Sqm.
Others are: Plot 1b, Northern Business District, Lekki Peninsula Scheme 1, measuring 1000Sqm and Plot 1; Block 25, Lekki Peninsula Residential Scheme 1, Eti-Osa L.G.A, measuring 2989.10Sqm, to the Federal Government.

Dissatisfied with the Order, Momoh had approached the appellate court seeking to set aside the order of court.

But in a judgment read by Justice Daniel Kalio, the appellate court held that Momoh did not place any material before the court “to enable it to disturb the findings of the lower court”.

 The appellate court also held that Momoh’s appeal lacked merit and was accordingly dismissed.

“The judgment of the lower court is affirmed,” it further held.

Counsel to the EFCC, Ekene Iheanacho, while moving ex parte application for the interim forfeiture of the properties had referred to paragraph four of the affidavit, detailing how a contractor with the NDDC, Starline Consultancy Services Limited, was paid the sum of N10, 218, 019, 060.59) (Ten Billion, Two Hundred and Eighteen Million, Nineteen Thousand and Sixty Naira) as consultancy fee for levies collected from oil producing companies in the Niger Delta Region. It was further stated that out of the money paid to Starline, a sum of N3, 645, 000. 00 (Three Billion, Six Hundred and Forty- five Thousand Naira) was paid as kickback to Omatsuli through a company named Building Associates Limited.“Some of the funds were used by Building Associates to buy properties in the name of a company, Don Parker Properties Limited, where Omatsuli had majority shareholding,” Iheanacho had further told the court.

Iheanacho had also told the court that Momoh, whom he described as the majority shareholder in Building Associates Limited, was introduced as a shareholder in Don Parker Properties Limited so as to disguise the nature of the crime.

After hearing the submissions, Justice Obiozor had granted all the reliefs sought by the applicant and ordered the interim forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government.

The Judge had further directed the Commission to publish the Order in any national newspaper within 14 days, notifying the respondents or anyone interested in the properties to appear before the court and show cause why the properties should not be forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The applicant, in compliance to the court’s order, had published the interim forfeiture order in The Nation Newspaper of May 26, 2018. However, the respondents­ had, on October 1, 2018, opposed the application, claiming ownership of the properties.

Delivering his judgment, Justice Obiozor had held that the properties were acquired through proceeds from kickbacks received by Building Associate Limited operated by Momoh on behalf of Tuoyo; and ruled that the properties be finally forfeited to the Federal Government.

JUDICIARY

Court Remands Landlord for Alleged Defilement of Tenant’s Daughter

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A family court sitting at Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Tuesday ordered the remand of one Musibau Lamidi, 50, for alleged defilement of his tenant’s six-year-old daughter.

The Magistrate, Mrs S. A . Adesina, ordered that the landlord should be kept at the Agodi custodial facility pending advice from Oyo State  Director of Public Prosecutions.

Adesina did not take the landlord’s plea.

She adjourned the case until April 25 for mention.

Reports says that Musibau, a resident of Olode, Ibadan, was charged on one-count of defilement.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp Gbemisola Adedeji, told the court that the defendant, on March 13, between 8. 00 a.

m. and 4.00 p.m.  defiled his tenant’s daughter.

Adedeji said that Musibau had an issue with the child’s mother and asked her to pack out.

The prosecutor said that when the woman went to look for a house to rent, the defendant defiled  her daughter.

She said that the offence contravened Section 34 of the Oyo State Child Right’s
Law of 2006. (NAN)

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JUDICIARY

4 Friends Docked for Allegedly Threatening Cleric’s Life

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Court Sentences Applicant to 6 Months in Prison for Stealing Cell Phone
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Four friends were on Monday docked in a Grade ‘A’ Customary Court in  Ibadan for allegedly threatening the life of  pastor Charles Gold.

The police charged Olatunji Musibau, 44;Abiodun Folarin, 50; Kazeem Oluremi, 60 and Yusuf Sodiq, 23, with conspiracy and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Philip Amusan, told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offence on March 8, at about 2 p.

m., at New Bodija Area in Ibadan.

Amusan alleged that the defendants and others at large, threatened violence against pastor Gold, of Echo Evangelical Ministry Ibadan.

He said the offence contravened the probisions of sections 516 and 383 of the Criminal Laws of Oyo State, 2000.

The defendants however pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The Court President, Mrs Moji Aworemi, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N150, 000 each and one surety each in like sum.

Aworemi held that the surety must be a blood relation to the defendants.

She adjourned the case until April 29, for mention. (NAN)

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JUDICIARY

2 Teenagers in Court for Allegedly Stealing Sewing Machine

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Two teenagers, Simor Aaron, 19, and Francis David, 18, were arraigned on Wednesday before a Kaduna Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly stealing a sewing machine and other items worth N325,000.

The defendants, both residents of High-Cost Narayi, Kaduna, are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing, to which they pleaded not guilty.

The Prosecutor, Insp Chidi Leo, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on March 11, at Barnawa Kaduna.

According to Leo, the duo burgled a tailoring shop of one Gladys Peter and stole her sewing machine, six wrappers, and four clothing materials all valued at N325,000.

The prosecutor stated that the defendants were caught and handed over to the police by members of the vigilante group on patrol in the area.

Leo said that the offences contravened Sections 281 and 217 of the Penal Code of Kaduna State, 2017, which stipulates a three-year jail term for stealing and two years imprisonment for conspiracy.

The Magistrate, Ibrahim Emmanuel, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum, who must be gainfully employed.

Emmanuel adjourned the case until April 22, for hearing. (NAN)

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