JUDICIARY
Court Orders Final Forfeiture of Diezani’s $40m Jewellery
From Mark Mayah
Lagos
Justice I.N. Oweibo of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos , on Tuesday, September 10, 2019, ordered the final forfeiture of some jewellery and a customized gold Iphone valued at $40m belonging to a former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to the Federal Government.
The Judge had, on July 5, 2019, granted the interim forfeiture of the properties, following an ex parte application filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Justice Oweibo had also directed interested parties to show cause why the properties should not be forfeited to the Federal Government.
However, Nnamdi Awa-Kalu, counsel to the respondent, Alison-Madueke, had filed a motion on notice setting aside the order of the court granting the interim forfeiture of the properties to the Federal Government.
Awa-Kalu, in the application, also claimed that his client was a successful businesswoman in the oil and gas sector, who had acquired the properties through legitimate means as well as gifts.
However, counsel to the EFCC, Rotimi Oyedepo, argued that the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of crime as the respondent failed to show how they were acquired.
Oyedepo also submitted that “ it is an unlawful activity for a public officer to receive gifts as a result of what was done or not done.”
Oyedepo, therefore, urged the court to discountenance the application of the respondent and forfeit the properties to the Federal Government.
In his ruling, Justice Oweibo held that the issues raised by the EFCC were more apt and that “it is only logical that the court dismisses the respondent’s application. “
Justice Oweibo also held that the respondent failed to show cause why the properties should not be forfeited to the Federal Government and consequently granted the EFCC’s application.
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)