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JUDICIARY

Court to Rule on Ekweremadu’s Plea Against Seized Property Jan. 25

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A Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed Jan. 25 for ruling on Sen. Ike Ekweremadu’s application, seeking an order setting aside the Nov. 4 interim forfeiture order on 40 landed property linked to him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Justice Inyang Ekwo fixed the date on Thursday after Chief Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN, who appeared for Ekweremadu, and the EFCC’s lawyer, Sylvanus Tahir, SAN, argued their case for and against the application.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Ekwo had, on Nov. 4, granted the anti-graft agency’s ex-parte motion, seeking an interim order of forfeiture of some property of Ekweremadu, who was former deputy debate president.

The judge, who granted the motion, ordered the agency to publish the interim forfeiture order of the property in a national daily within seven days.

The judge direct anybody who had interest in the forfeited property to indicate within 14 days of  the publication on why the property should not be permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

NAN reports that Ekweremadu’s eldest child, Lloyd; Anambra government and a company, Uni-medical Healthcare Limited had, on Dec. 5, appeared in court as parties interested in the seized property.

Lloyd, in a motion on notice marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1242/2022 and filed by Chief Awomolo, prayed the court for an order setting aside the Interim forfeiture order on his father’s property and companies.

Lloyd, in a four-ground argument, said that the facts In support of the the EFCC’s ex-parte originating motion “deliberately and fraudulently omitted very critical facts/evidence, which negate the granting of the application.”

He argued that the motion which the anti-graft agency commenced the action was filed in absolute bad faith.

According to him, the originating motion ex-parte was an abuse of judicial process, oppressive, intimidating and unfair to the parties interested in the property forfeited in the interim.

He said, “the originating motion ex-parte was initiated with the expectation that Sen. Ike Ekweremadu and other persons interested in the property be denied of their right to fair hearing.”

Also in its application, the Anambra government said one of the property listed in the interim order of forfeiture granted by the court belonged to the state.

The state government, through its counsel, Chuks Igbinedion, told Justice Ekwo in the affidavit to show cause why the property should not be forfeited to the Federal Government that “the property listed as No. 1 in Schedule “A” in Page 2 of the interim order granted on 4th day of November, 2022, known as No 14/16, Charles Street, GRA Enugu” belonged to the state.

The lawyer said the property neither belonged to Sen. Ekweremadu nor his wife, Beatrice, including Power Properties Ltd, their private company.

Besides, Uni-medical Healthcare Limited, in its affidavit to show cause, urged the court to discharge the interim order made against “the property in No. 7 to Schedule “A” of the application.”

The firm’s Regional Manager, Mr Onyebuchi Michael, averred that the company was the legal owner of the property at Plot 680 and 681, Independence Layout, Enugu in Enugu State “referred to as 23, Umunana Street, Independence Layout, Enugu State.”

He said the company bought the property from Power Properties Nigeria Limited in the sum of N300 million in August 2021 and the perfection of the title was completed on March 24, who he said predated the EFCC’s application dated and filed on July 27.

They all prayed the court to set aside the interim order and dismiss the EFCC’s application.(NAN)

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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