JUDICIARY
REOPENED – Court Fixes Nov. 10 to Hear Nnamdi Kanu’s Application, Challenging Competence of FG’s Charge

A Federal High Court, Abuja has fixed Nov. 10 for hearing the application of leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, challenging the competency of the charge preferred against him by the Federal Government
Justice Binta Nyako, on Thursday, fixed the date after counsel to Kanu, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, informed that he had a notice of preliminary objection challenging the fresh seven-count charge filed against his client.
Earlier, counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Mohammed Abubakar, told the court that an amended seven counts had already been filed and he prayed the court for the charges to be read to Kanu to take his plea.
Following the complaint by the legal team, the judge ordered that three people, of Kanu’s choice, be allowed to visit him every Thursday at the DSS facility.
Although journalists were not allowed into the courtroom by the operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), Ejiofor briefed the media shortly after the proceedings.
He said a notice of preliminary objection filed to challenge the amended charge would be taken by the court on Nov. 10.
NAN reports that the applicaion, marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/3832015 dated Oct. 18 and filed Oct. 20 by Ejiofor, sought for two orders of the court.
“AN ORDER striking out/quashing and or dismissing the seven-count amended charge, specifically, counts 1 to 7 preferred against the defendant/applicant (Kanu) in the amended charge No: FHC/ABJ/CR/383/2015, for the reason that the counts, as constituted, are incompetent and thus, deprives the Honourable Court of jurisdiction to entertain the same.
“AN ORDER of the Honourable Court discharging and acquitting the defendant/applicant of all the counts in the seven-count amended charge preferred against the defendant/applicant, upon the same being struck out/quashed and/or dismissed,” it reads.
The application was filed on 31 grounds, among which were “that no allegation was made in any of the counts of the amended charge that the alleged sundry acts of the defendant/Aapplicant were physically carried out by him, within the geographical space or territorial boundaries of Nigeria; that the only element requisite to constitute and found liability for incitement is the actual words allegedly uttered by the defendant/applicant.”
There was pandemonium earlier at the main entrance of the building as lawyers clashed with the DSS personnel over the refusal to allow them access into the court premises.
Litigants and other visitors who were at the court for other businesses were also barred from coming into the court premises.(NAN)
CRIME
3 Docked for Allegedly Breaking into Bank, Stealing Laptops

Three men, Olufemi Faleti, 59, Ayoade Adewale 41 and Idowu Yusuf, 41, on Friday, were brought before an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court Ibadan charged with breaking into a bank and stealing laptops.
The defendants,whose addresses were not provided, were charged with conspiracy, house breaking and stealing, to which they pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Insp Elisha Tellang told the court that the defendants allegedly committed the offences on March 24, at 7:30 p.
m, at First Bank, Asogo, Oyo.He alleged that the defendants broke into the bank and stole two laptops worth N800, 000.
Tellang said the offences contravened Sections 516, 413 and 390(9) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.
The Magistrate, Mrs Moyosore Atanda granted each defendant bail in the sum of N300,000 and with two sureties each in like sum.
She adjourned the case until Sept. 8, for hearing. (NAN)
CRIME
Ex-convict Bags 2 years Imprisonment for Stealing Speaker, Mobile Phone

An Ota Magistrate’s Court in Ogun, on Friday, sentenced a 21-year-old ex-convict, Habeeb Jimoh, to two years imprisonment for stealing a Zealot speaker, Infinix mobile phone and other goods worth N595,000.
In her judgment, the Magistrate, Mrs O.
O.
Fadairo, sentenced the convict to two years imprisonment without an option of fine.Fadairo said that the prosecution counsel had proven beyond reasonable doubt that he was guilty of the charge preferred against him.
The convict, of no fixed address, had pleaded not guilty to the charge of stealing.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. E. O. Adaraloye, told the court that the convict committed the offence on May 28, at about 3.
00 a.m. at Singer area, Ewupe in Sango-Ota.Adaraloye said that the security guard identified him after stealing a Zealot speaker, an Infinix phone and other items, worth N595,000, after which he fled.
According to him, the offence contravenes Section 390 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun, 2006. (NAN)
CRIME
Man Bangs 7 years Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking

A Federal High Court in Lagos on Wednesday convicted and sentenced a 24-year-old man, Emmanuel Chekwube, to seven years imprisonment for drug trafficking.
Justice Lewis Allagoa sentenced the convict after he had pleaded guilty to the four-count charge of drug trafficking.
Allagoa, however, gave the convict an option of five million naira fine.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned Chekwube on charges of conspiracy, illegal storage of restricted drug, unlawful use of premises to store banned narcotics and unlawful deal in narcotics.
He had pleaded guilty to the charges.
Following his plea, the Prosecutor, Ms M.
I. Erondu, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered several exhibits before the court, such as: a statement of the defendant, a drug analysis form and packaging of substance form.Also tendered were: remnant of the narcotics, request for scientific aid form and transparent pouch, among others.
The prosecutor then urged the court to convict the defendant based on his plea as well as the evidences adduced.
Consequently, the judge convicted the defendant as charged.
Before the sentence, the defence had prayed the court to tamper justice with mercy, saying that as his client was a first time offender and that he would turn a new leaf.
Delivering his verdict afterwards, Allagoa sentenced Chekwube to seven years imprisonment on each count, which, he said, would run concurrently.
He, however, gave the convict an option of five million naira fine.
In the charge, the convict was said to have committed the offences on May 7 at Amukoko, Ijora area of Lagos.
He was said to have used the premises to engage in illegal storage of 56.2 kg Tramadol Hydrochloride, 1.2 kg Nitrazepam and 72g of Swinol
All the substances are said to have been listed in the NDLEA schedule as banned narcotics, thus contravening the provisions of Sections 12 and 14(b) of NDLEA Act, 2004. (NAN)