JUDICIARY
Court Further Adjourns Fayose’s Trial
A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Thursday, further adjourned until May 17 for continuation of trial of embattled former Gov. Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti, facing money laundering charges.
The trial, scheduled for continuation on Thursday, was adjourned at the instance of defence.
When the case was called, Mr J.
A. Obafemi announced appearance for prosecution while Mr S. Olowolafe appeared for defence. He held brief for Mr Ola Olanipekun (SAN).Olowolafe informed the court that the defendant was unavailable in court on health grounds, and prayed for an adjournment.
Following absence of any objection, the court adjourned the case until May 17, 18 and 19 for continuation of trial.
Fayose is being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for alleged N6.9 billion fraud and money laundering.
He was first arraigned on Oct. 22, 2018, before Justice Mojisola Olatotegun alongside his company, Spotless Investment Ltd., on 11 counts bordering on fraud and money laundering.
He had pleaded not guilty and was granted bail on Oct. 24, 2018, in the sum of N50 million with sureties in like sum.
The defendant was, however, subsequently re-arraigned before Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke on July 2, 2019, after the case was withdrawn from Olatoregun following a petition by EFCC.
He had also pleaded not guilty to the charge, and was allowed to continue on the earlier bail granted.
The commission has since opened its case before Aneke, and is still leading witnesses in evidence.
In December 2021, EFCC called its 11th witness, one Mrs Joanne Tolulope, who narrated how Abiodun Agbele, said to be an associate of Fayose, allegedly bought property worth millions of Naira crime proceeds.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during trial before Olatoregun, prosecution called witnesses from several commercial banks, as well as a former Minister of State for Defence, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro.
According to the EFCC, on June 17, 2014, Fayose and one Abiodun Agbele illegally took possession of N1.2 billion for purposes of funding his gubernatorial election campaign in Ekiti.
The commission said that the defendants reasonably ought to have known that the sum formed part of crime proceeds.
It alleged that Fayose received cash payment of five million dollars (about N1.8 billion) from the then Minister of State for Defence, Obanikoro, without going through any financial institution.
The commission also said that the former governor unlawfully retained 300 million in his bank account and took control of the aggregate sums of about N622 million.
The EFCC added that the defendant unlawfully procured De Privateer Ltd. and Still Earth Ltd. to retain aggregate sums of N851 million.
Besides, the ex-governor was alleged to have unlawfully used aggregate sums of about N1.6 billion to acquire property in Lagos and Abuja.
He was also alleged to have illegally used N200 million to acquire a property in Abuja with the name of his elder sister, Moji Oladeji.
The alleged offences contravene the provisions of Sections 15(1), 15 (2), 15 (3), 16(2)(b), 16 (d), and 18 (c) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act of 2011. (NAN)
JUDICIARY
Court Remands Landlord for Alleged Defilement of Tenant’s Daughter
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)
JUDICIARY
4 Friends Docked for Allegedly Threatening Cleric’s Life
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)
JUDICIARY
2 Teenagers in Court for Allegedly Stealing Sewing Machine
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)