JUDICIARY
Ile Arugbo: Kwara Government, Saraki to Meet Monday
The Kwara state Government has agreed to an out-of-court-settlement on the disputed land between it and the late Dr Olusola Saraki’s family.
The state government’s action is in response to an earlier letter from the Sarakis to it seeking an amicable out-court-settlement of the case.
The state government had on December 27, 2019 through its agents demolished some property (Ile Arugbo) on plots 1,3 and 5 at the Ilofa Road, GRA Ilorin of the late Olusola Saraki, Second Republic Senate leader and strongman of Kwara politics.
The state government claimed that the parcel of land was illegally acquired by the Sarakis under the name Asa Investment Limited.
This has led to litigation between former Senate President, Bukola Saraki and the state government.
On January 15, 2020 which wast the last adjourned date, state High Court judge, Justice Abiodun Adebara had urged parties to the dispute to explore out-of-court resolution of the case.
At the resumed hearing of the case yesterday, Counsel to Asa Investment Limited owned by late Olusola Saraki, AbdulAzeez Ibrahim informed the court that his clients had received a letter from the state Ministry of Justice inviting them to a meeting slated for January 27th, 2020.
Said Ibrahim: “On January 15th, your lordship conscientiously advised parties to explore settlement of the case out of court in the interest of peace in this state of harmony.
“Consequent upon that we as counsel to the claimant had to persuade our client and after thorough discussions our client instructed us to write a letter to the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of the state of our readiness to meet with him which we served the state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice on 20th January, 2020.
“Consequently, this morning in this court, we were served with a letter dated January 23rd, 2020 from the Kwara state Ministry of Justice.
In the letter we are invited for a meeting slated for 27th January, 2020. We want to explore the opportunity this court has afforded. We therefore, submit that an adjournment is imminent and inevitable.”
Counsel to the state government, who is also the Director Civil Litigation, Ministry of Justice A.M Bello confirmed the receipt of a letter from the claimant’s counsel seeking for amicable resolution of the case out of court and “in tandem with the tenet of the said letter, we have invited the claimant for a meeting on Monday next week for out-of-court settlement of the case.” Bello added.
He told the court that he aligned with the claimant’s counsel application for adjournment.
Counsel to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Aderemi Ajibola said, “we shall not be opposing to the adjournment sought by the claimant’s counsel.”
In his ruling, presiding Judge Abiodun Adebara urged the parties to resolve the case amicably before the next adjourned date.
Said he: “This court is particularly impressed by the parties for the steps taken to settle out of court; they are therefore enjoined to
engage in meaningful discussions that will lead to the resolution of the case out of court. I wish the parties well in their deliberation.
“With the concurrence of the learned counsel, this case is adjourned to March 2nd for the report of out-of-court settlement.”
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)