JUDICIARY
Court to Rule in Application Filed by Embattled LP Chairman, others’ to Vacate Order May 12
Justice Hamza Muazu of an FCT high court sitting at Maitama, on Thursday adjourned until May 12 to rule in the preliminary objection filed by the embattled chairman of Labour Party (LP), Julius Abure and one other
The other respondents are the National Secretary, Alhaji Farouk Ibrahim, Clement Ojukwu and Oluchi Opara.
They are challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain a matter filed Martins Esikpali John; Lucky Shaibu; Isah Zekeri; Omogbai Frank; Abokhaiu Aliu; Ayohkaire Lateef; John Elomah and Dr Ayobami Arabambi
The plaintiffs are seeking for the removal of the four respondent through an ex-parte motion, marked M/7082/2023, brought before the court
Justice Muazu adjourned until May 12 after listening to the submissions of the counsel in the matter.
At the resumed hearing counsel for the 1st and 2nd respondents, Alex Ejesieme SAN, informed the court that he filed an application dated April 13.
He said the application is seeking to challenge the jurisdiction of the court to adjudicate in the matter brought before it by the claimants.
He told the court that the plaintiff’s invaded LP’s secretariat and vandalized it against the court order
Ejesieme told the court that since the order was made that his clients have not violated it.
He said he filed a 13 grounds objections urging the court to dismiss the suit.
” Our contention is very clear that those criminal allegations can not be ventilated in an origination summon ”
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“The issue of locust standi is there when you referred to LP’s constitution the claimants are not members of NEC nor the party . “They have a duty to present their membership card to the court which they didn’t.
He added that no certificate of pre -action was filed before the court in fulfilment of order II rules three and eight.
The matter borders on the internal issue of the party according to him.
Counsel for the claimants, George Ibrahim, told the court that the 1 st to 4th defendants had yet to obey the April 5 order of the court.
He added that they were still parading themselves as national officers of the LP.
Ibrahim vehemently objected to the preliminary objections of the 1st &2nd counsel and urged the court to dismiss the preliminary objection.
Justice Muazu had on April 5 issued the restraining order while ruling in ex-parte application argued by Ogwu Onoja, SAN on behalf of the claimants.
Onoja had in the application informed the court how the sacked national officers allegedly forged several documents of the FCT High Court to carry out unlawful substitutions in the last general elections.
Among the documents are the receipts, seal and affidavits of the Court to carry out alleged criminal activities.
Onoja tendered several documents confirmed to the Judge that the Chief Registrar of the Court wrote the Labour Party to disown several documents used for the alleged criminal activities by Abure and three others.
Onoja said that following their indictment by police investigation, the four people are to be arraigned in court adding that warrants for their arrest have already been obtained.
Justice Muazu held that the application and the supporting affidavits have made out a good case for the request to be granted.
The Judge subsequently ordered that the four officers should immediately stop parading themselves as National Officers of Labour Party. (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)