Justice Raliat Adebiyi of a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere yesterday January 25th, granted the former Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, and four other employees of NIMASA bail of N20 million each in a N754,740,680 alleged fraud case.

The former NIMASA boss and six other oemployees of the maritime agency were dragged before the court by the EFCC for allegedly stealing N754,740,680 belonging to NIMASA.

Akpobolokemi was arraigned alongside Captain Ezekiel Agaba, Ekene Nwakuche, Governor Amechee Juan, Vincent Udoye, Captain Adegboyega Sahib Olopoenia and a company, Gama Marine Nigeria Limited.

The former NIMASA boss is also standing trial for other financial crimes cases.

A court in Bahrain on Monday added 15-year jail terms to the sentences of 57 Shiite inmates involved in a prison mutiny, a judicial source said. The inmates were convicted of rioting and mutiny following unrest last March at Jaw prison south of the capital Manama, the source said. The charges included “disobeying orders and forcing guards out of the prisoners’ buildings” and then “destroying furniture, air conditioners and security cameras”, the source said.

Security forces finally stormed the buildings and clashed with the rioting prisoners, resulting in casualties among police and inmates, the source added. Al-Wasat newspaper said the defendants were also fined a total of 508,187 dinars ($1.35 million). It was not clear what caused the riot in Bahrain’s largest prison that is used for Shiites convicted over anti-government protests.


Human Rights Watch called last May for an independent investigation into allegations that security forces used “excessive force” to quell the unrest at the jail and later mistreated prisoners. Bahrain’s Sunni authorities crushed Shiite-led protests a month after they erupted on February 14, 2011.

The strategic Shiite-majority, Sunni-ruled kingdom lies across the Gulf from Shiite Iran and is home to the US Fifth Fleet.

The woman, 34-year-old Hui Zhang, had admitted killing the couple, Ying Wang and Liangsi Xui, during a violent row at her home after they learned the little boy had died.
The judge followed the prosecutor's recommendation of 20 years behind bars for Hui, who had claimed she acted in self-defence as the furious parents of the dead child attacked her and her boyfriend Te Lu, also 34, with a butcher's knife.
Te, who was a co-defendant in the macabre case, was acquitted.
In his closing arguments, Judge Julien Eyraud told the court: "When I learned of this case I was overcome by the horror of what happened, imagining the smell of blood, this butchery in the bathroom, this violence."
As the trial opened on Tuesday, Hui confessed to the killing, saying: "It's true, I killed them, and I will regret it for the rest of my life."
She and Te had decided to offer the child's parents money to try to get them not to report the boy's death.
They invited the parents to their home, but said their plans quickly went awry faced with the fury of the grieving couple.
Te testified on Tuesday that he fell unconscious during the fight and remained so while Hui chopped up the two bodies in the bathroom with an electric saw, using the washing machine to cover the noise.
"I was sucked into a whirlwind of nightmares but I am innocent," Te told the court.
The court heard Hui then wrapped the body parts in rubbish bags and scrubbed her apartment clean.
Te later helped her get rid of the remains, transporting them "by foot or public transport" to the forest of Vincennes east of Paris, a policeman said.
Mr Eyraud cast doubt on Hui's claim of self-defence and said there was no proof Te had taken part in the murders.
The case first came to light in June 2012 after two joggers came upon a leg, cut off at the ankle, in Vincennes forest.
Several days later, a guide dog found a human torso in the same area, but the hunt for further remains was fruitless.
Before the bodies could be identified, Hui and Te turned themselves in.
They then directed police to the locations of more body parts around the forest.
However, they did not find the baby's body, which Hui said she had thrown in rubbish bins along with some of the other remains.
AFP

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned the former governorship candidate of Nasarawa State in the 2015 election, Mr. Yusuf Mohammed Agabi before an Abuja Federal High Court for defrauding the Federal Government of N666.08 million before.



Agabi was charged alongside four others on a 46-count charge for allegedly embezzling N666.08m from the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.

The four accused persons docked by ICPC were Akpore Okeroghene, Abibu Ayinla, Idowu Anthony Adewale and Ntu James Ngozi.

The Commission’s counsel, Mr. Paul Bassi alleged before the court that the accused persons fraudulently shared N666.08m belonging to the Federal Government, while working in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs between 4thof December, 2013 and December, 2014 thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 13 and punishable under section 68 of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000.

The National Industrial Court sitting in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State capital, on Thursday, ordered Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and other agencies of government not to evict sacked Permanent Secretaries from their official residences.

Eight of the removed permanent secretaries had on January 12, 2016, dragged Wike before the industrial court to protest their compulsory retirement from the Rivers State Civil Service.

The permanent secretaries are Mr. Sam Woka, Ms. Kadilo Brown, Mr. Augustine Orlu-Orlu, Mr. Muka Nwikosi, Mr Minabelema Michael-West, Mrs. Ngozi Abu, Mr. Kingsley Hart and Mrs Justina Jumbo.


Also joined in the suit were Attorney-General of the state, the Head of Service of the state, the Rivers State Civil Service Commission, and the Accountant General.

The presiding judge, Justice Agbadu Fishim, had adjourned the matter until Thursday, January 21, 2016 to hear the motion for interlocutory injunction.

When the matter came up on Thursday, Justice Fishim, expressing concern over fear of ejection and other issues raised by the claimants, said accommodation is very important and is capable of destabilising anybody.

Justice Fishim therefore ordered the defendants including Governor Nyesom Wike through their counsel, Mr. Frank Onyiri, not to tamper with the plaintiffs (claimants) accommodation.

He urged the defendants’ lawyer to advise his clients to follow the rule of law and not to do anything that would undermine the court.

The defendants’ lawyer, Onyiri, told the court that the directive would be communicated to his clients, assuring the judge that the plaintiffs would not be evicted.

Senator Ahmed Sanni who is the former Zamfara state governor was arraigned before a high court in Gusau, Zamfara state over allegations of corruption. The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, had filed an 18-count charge of corruption against the former governor. See more photos after the cut...

A Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday, ordered the Federal Government to produce former National Security Adviser (NSA), Colonel Sambo Dasuki (reted), in court on February 16 to answer criminal charges filed against him.

The trial judge, Justice Adeniyi Ademola, who gave the order, said it was mandatory for a defendant in a criminal matter to be physically present in court at every stage of the prosecution except where the presence of the accused is excused by court for reasons.



The judge was provoked by the failure of the Federal Government to bring Dasuki to court on Wednesday for his trial.

Dasuki’s counsel, Joseph Daudu (SAN), had earlier complained that his client was abducted by security agents of the Federal Government six weeks ago to an unknown destination.

Daudu informed Justice Ademola that since Dasuki was whisked away, all efforts by Dasuki’s family members and his lawyers to have access to him had proved abortive.

He also recalled that in three different high courts where Dasuki was arraigned by the Federal Government, he (Dasuki) was admitted to bail by the three courts and the counsel regretted that up till date, the government and its agents refused to allow Dasuki go on bail.

He urged the judge to compel the Federal Government and its agents to respect the court’s decision.

The trial judge said: “I am worried that the accused is not here. I do not want to set a bad precedence. Except the court gives express order for the defendant not to be in court, the accused must be brought to court from wherever he is.

“The accused must be here because I am not sure if what I am doing is right now, in the absence of the accused, is not an illegality.

“Government and whoever is concerned must endeavour to do the necessary thing. The accused, having been formally charged in court, must be produced in court for trial on the appointed days in compliance with provisions of the law,” the judge added.

Earlier, counsel to Federal Government, Dikpo Okpeseyi (SAN), had applied for withdrawal of an application earlier filed by government seeking revocation of the bail granted Dasuki on November 3.

The judge consequently struck out the application and announced that ruling would be delivered on February 16 in a pending application by the Federal Government seeking secret trial of the former NSA.

An Akure High Court, yesterday, sentenced two domestic staff of former Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, Professor Albert Ilemobade, to death by hanging.



The convicts, Daniel Itah Effiong and Bamitale Olayemi, were the security/gate man of the 79-year-old former Professor of Veterinary Medicine, and driver, respectively.

Delivering judgement, Justice Williams Olamide found them guilty of the three-count charge of conspiracy to murder, murder and robbery.

They were accused of strangulating the deceased to death in his residence at Ijapo Estate, Akure, Ondo State, on June 21, 2015, and stole his Toyota RAV 4, 2013 model and N7000.

The offence, according to the prosecutor, who is the State Director of Public Prosecution, Mrs Adejoke Tuki, was contrary to and punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code Cap.37 Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

Justice Olamide, in his judgement which lasted about two hours, held that the prosecution was able to establish and prove the case against the former domestic staff of the late professor beyond reasonable doubt and to the satisfaction of the court.

He declared: “The accused persons were callous, wicked and inconsiderate when they decided to sniff out life of an elderly person and their benefactor over his property. Against this backdrop, the accused persons do not deserve the sympathy or mercy of this court.

“Law must take its cause and this will serve as a deterrent to others. The accused persons are hereby sentenced to death by hanging. May God have mercy on your souls.”

It will be recalled that the two domestic staff, after they murdered their boss, dumped his corpse in a store/generator house before they fled.

Security operatives and family members of the late professor had thought he had been kidnapped until detectives in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, arrested the domestic staff while they were about to sell the stolen car for N400,000.

The dealer, who wanted to buy the car became suspicious because the market value was N5 million. He informed police and the suspects were arrested.

They led the detectives from Ogun State to the Ijapo residence of the late professor and showed them where they dumped his corpse.

by: THEWILL

BEVERLY HILLS, February 25, (THEWILL) -  Borno State Students, under the umbrella of the National Union of Borno State Students (NUBOSS), Tuesday called on President Goodluck Jonathan to stop blaming the state governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, for the escalation of the Boko Haram insurgency in the state.

Calling on the President to pay a visit to the state in order  to appreciate what the people are going through, the students said

the president would only understand the frustration of Governor Shettima “if he pays a visit to Bama, Gwoza, Konduga or any other parts of the state where the insurgents have wreaked wanton havoc.”

Making the call at a media briefing  in Maiduguri, the state capital, the National Chairman of NUBOSS. Comrade Isah Mohammed Biu, said though President Jonathan  has denied the rumour of a plan to replace Shettima with a military administrator, there won’t be such call in the first instance President Jonathan had  visited the affected parts of the state.

The students therefore said the Federal Government, rather than Governor Shettima, should take responsibility for the escalation of the crisis,  saying with the declaration of emergency rule in the state, “ the security of the state automatically shifted to the Federal Government.”

A Zamfara High Court, sitting in Gusau, on Thursday adjourned a case of armed robbery and attempted murder preferred against Senator Ahmed Yarima and 29 others to April 8, 2014.
Yarima, a former governor of Zamfara, was arraigned in the court by the Inspector-General of Police on an eight-count charge of armed robbery, conspiracy and attempt to commit murder, among others. Yarima appeared before Justice Bello Gummi of the High Court along with the 29 co-accused persons.
However, the lead defense counsel, Mr Muhammad Katu, observed the prosecution should have cited the charges on separate sheets of paper to avoid duplication and complications.
This forced the judge to adjourn the sitting for about three hours. On return, Gummi ruled that the case was properly filed and ordered for the continuation of the case.
Both the  prosecution and defense counsel, Mr Oloye Torugbene and  Katu, respectively, however, applied  for an adjournment. The judge adjourned the case to April 8 when the pleas of the accused would be taken by the court.
Yarima was arraigned in the court by the IGP, following petitions by a serving member of the House of Representatives, representing Gusau/Tsafe Federal Constituency, Ibrahim Shehu.
The senator was alleged to have conspired with other accused persons to kill the Shehu on the Aug. 22, 2013. The complainant  also alleged that during the attack on him, the sum of N10 million was removed from his car.

The Jigawa state civil defense corps have arrested one Malam Nasiru sani [40 years] for allegedly impregnating one Hajiya Hauwa sani [20years] of babura quaters all in Babura local government area of Jigawa state.
The suspect hauwa sani was also arrested by the civil defense official for allegedly killing the ‘aborted’ baby and secretly burying the baby with the support of her parent inside their house in aduwa village of babura local government in the state.
The suspect was taken to babura general hospital to verification. The buried baby was exhumed out from the grave for verification to determine whether the baby was a boy or a girl and how many month the baby was.
Both the suspect and the 40years accused confessed to the deed. The accused confessed that he played a greater role in impregnating hauwa sani.
The commandant of the civil defense Alhaji muhammed gidado said the suspect will all be taken to court for judgment.
By Umar Akilu Majeri, Dutse

The tribunal, however, refused to strike out Mr. Ngige’s suit.
The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal sitting in Awka, Anambra State, has dismissed a motion filed by Chris Ngige which sought additional exhibits and witnesses to prove his petition against Willie Obiano.
The tribunal in its ruling delivered in Awka on Wednesday by a member of the panel, Justice Akintola Akiniyi, held that the documents sought to be added were sourced outside the designated INEC office.
Mr. Ngige, a senator, was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the elections, while Mr. Obiano was the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA, and was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The counsel to INEC, Mr. Obiano and Victor Umeh’s faction of APGA, Adegboyega Awomolo, Onyechi Ikpeazu, and Patrick Iweto respectively had opposed the motion.
“All the computer generated documents from the law office of the applicant sought to be added by counsel to Ngige, Chief Olarotimi Akeredolu were produced outside the order of the tribunal.
“This, however, has affected the credibility of the documents and cannot be accepted.
“Accordingly, the application to file, serve and rely on the additional witness statements cannot be granted and hereby dismissed,” the tribunal held.
The tribunal further held that the dismissal would not affect the validity of other evidence to be relied upon by the petitioner.
Mr. Ngige is challenging the election of Mr. Obiano in the governorship election held in Anambra in 2013 on grounds of electoral malpractice.
In another ruling read by Justice John Viko, the tribunal dismissed, for lack of merit, consolidated motions which sought outright striking out of the petition at the pre-hearing sessions.
It held that the motion which sought the striking out of specified paragraphs of the various petitions would be heard and determined during pre-hearing.
“Those seeking outright dismissal of the petition will be heard and determined along with the substantive petitions.
“This tribunal views the innovation introduced by paragraphs 12 (5) of the First Schedule to the Electoral Act, 2010 as a step towards promoting peace, substantial justice and ultimately enhancing a healthy policy.
“It allows aggrieved members of the society to ventilate their grievances free from legal technicalities,” the tribunal said.
The tribunal in another petition adjourned till February 25 ruling on a motion filed by Chike Obidigbo seeking to be joined as a respondent in all the petitions.
Similarly, the tribunal adjourned till February 25 ruling on motions filed by counsel to INEC, Mr. Obiano and APGA seeking to strike out some paragraphs of the petition filed by Tony Nwoye.
It also adjourned till February 24 for Mr. Akeredolu to reply on motions filed by counsel to INEC, Mr. Obiano and APGA seeking to strike out some paragraphs of Mr. Ngige’s petition for being vague, imprecise and generic in nature.
The chairman of the tribunal, Justice Ishaq Bello, expressed the hope that the tribunal will conclude pre-hearing on February 25.
He solicited for the cooperation of all parties to achieve this.
(NAN)

Since the beginning of 2014, criminals have been on the onslaught in Cross River State especially in Calabar, the state capital, attacking and dispossessing residents of money and valuables. Reports of nocturnal visits by criminals particularly, in Calabar South neighbourhoods have become a recurring decimal. As a result of this ugly development, many residents have been forced to form vigilante groups to take over the security of their streets and neighbourhood. And as expected, when security is in the hands of people who are not trained in security issues, extra-judicial killings and jungle justice becomes the order of the day, and that is what is happening in Calabar currently. In the past few weeks, in an effort to protect themselves, angry mobs and vigilante groups have apprehended and lynched over 20 criminals. The year opened with the lynching of two female robbery suspects and their male accomplice who attempted to snatch N1.5 million from a woman. The robbery suspects said to be undergraduates and their male partner were battered and stripped naked at Murtala Mohammed Highway/ Atekong Drive and before the police arrived, the young man who was inflicted with a deep machete cut on his forehead had died. The gulf car they used was set ablaze and pushed into a drainage. The gang reportedly ambushed the businesswoman who had gone to withdraw N1.5 million at a bank along Calabar Road, near the Watt market, where they approached her to join their cab. The woman who appeared eager to arrive home because of the money she had withdrawn, immediately accepted and boarded the taxi. Trouble started as she got to her destination only to discover that the taxi driver became unwilling to allow her alight from the vehicle. Subsequently, the bandits reportedly brought out a gun and ordered her to cooperate with them if she did not want to get hurt. “They told me to co-operate with them and quietly hand over the N1.5 million or I would be killed; Suddenly, I became angry in my spirit because this money is contribution money and my members would not believe me that the money was stolen. So, I was ready to die and I began to raise alarm.” In a related development, on Monday, February 10, 2014, two robbery suspects were butchered along Mayne Avenue/Atu/ Marian roundabout and their operational vehicle, a Volkswagen Vento car set ablaze about 10am. An eye witness who gave his name as Asuquo narrated to Crime Guard how the thieves, operating in a Vento car as taxi, picked up a lady who had just collected some money at a new generation bank along Murtala Highway. “The lady was going to Goldie, so they took her through Target and when they got close to this place, they snatched her bag and pushed the woman out. She started screaming and luckily, some cars that were passing blocked their car and the thieves were trapped.” He said when the thieves saw that they had been trapped, they simply wound their car glasses and remained inside because the place is a busy roundabout and an attempt to escape would have been fruitless. So, they simply remained inside the car. “I used my hand and broke open the car glasses and dragged out the boys and some people came with machetes.” The thieves, Asuquo narrated, were inflicted severe cuts before the arrival of a team of policemen from the Atakpa Police Division and they taken into custody. In the same vein, another suspected criminal was also killed along Okpo Ene Street and his corpse dumped at Abasi Obori market. The suspect, said to be a member of a three -man gang was said to have rented a taxi on charter. When they got to Okpene /Mayne Avenue, they ransacked the vehicle and robbed the driver. ‘The driver raised alarm and some people went after them and one of them was caught and lynched,” he stated. *Lynched suspect Inset: IGP Abubarkar *Lynched suspect Also at Anantigha, two suspected robbers operating in a tricycle popularly known as keke NAPEP were killed and their tricycle set ablaze by angry mob. Earlier in the week, another suspected notorious criminal was apprehended by members of the vigilante along Uwanse Street and when he was about to be lynched, he pleaded that his life should be spared so that he would take the police to the hideout of his gang. “That night, he led a team of SARS to their hideout and four other suspects and their weapons were apprehended by the police. A resident of Uwanse, Mr. Akpan Udo-Ekpo told Crime Guard that they decided to confront the criminals since the number of hoodlums has increased tremendously in the city. “These boys have become too many and the police cannot be everywhere, so we have to combat them ourselves if we must live in peace in this city,”he said. Mr. Udo-Ekpo said before now, they used to apprehend criminals and hand them over to the police but such hoodlums later find their way out and return to terrorize people. Another resident, Moses Etim said they decided to form vigilante groups to tackle the high crime rate in the area to protect themselves. “We formed vigilante to protect ourselves from these criminals and we will continue to do so until we have peace.” Mr Hogan Bassey, the spokesman of the Cross River State Police Command said the police were aware of the several incidents of jungle justice and advised residents to report cases of attack to the police and not take laws into their hands. “We are aware of these cases; you know incidents of ‘one chance’ robbery have become rampant in this city and we are not resting in our efforts to make the city crime free.”

By Emmanuel Una, Calabar

Governor Owelle Rochas Okorocha of Imo State, has suspended the state Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Nma Onyechere, with immediate effect for physically assaulting a serving Commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission, Chief Emeka Okoronkwo.
The Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to the governor on Media, Mr. Sam Onwuemeodo, who confirmed this development to newsmen explained that Okorocha’s administration does not tolerate indiscipline.
“The Governor received a complaint that the suspended Commissioner physically assaulted a serving Commissioner in the Local Government Service Commission, Chief Emeka Okoronkwo”.
Speaking further, Onwuemeodo explained that it was the considered opinion of the Governor that such a public figure of the rank of a commissioner should learn how to control her temper, no matter the level of provocation.
“The reported incident brought bad image to the administration and the Governor strongly felt that such a public figure of the rank of a Commissioner should learn to properly manage her temper very well, no matter the level of provocation”, Onwuemeodo added.
Findings revealed that the Commissioner had been directed to immediately handover all government property in her possession to the Permanent Secretary in her Ministry.
By Ameh Comrade Godwin

Gov. Babangida Aliyu of Niger on Wednesday said he would sign the death warrant of any person sentenced to death by courts in the state.

Aliyu made the statement in Minna when Alhaji Abubakar Falke, Assistant Comptroller of Prisons in charge of Zone `D’ comprising Niger, Kebbi, Kwara, Sokoto, Zamfara and FCT commands paid him a courtesy visit.

He told the comptroller to forward the list of convicts in the state who were on death row.

“Let me know how many inmates are on death row in Niger State and I will sign the death warrant because it is my job,” he said, adding “believe me, I will sign if there is anybody on the row’’.

He, however, urged individuals and society to treat prison inmates and ex-convicts well so as to assist them to resume normal life.

According to the governor, it is not good for inmates to come out of jail as hardened criminals, instead of being reformed.

The governor advised prison authorities to collaborate with the State Government to ensure the welfare of prisoners.

He promised to provide vehicles to the prison command in the state to ease movement of inmates to court.

Falke disclosed that the number of inmates in the eight prisons in the state was 1,039, adding that out of the number, 442 had been convicted while 597 were awaiting trial.

He said that the prison command in the state had only six vehicles for its eight formations and 155 courts.

The comptroller appealed to the governor to assist the command with vehicles, adding however, that no convicted person of Niger origin was serving jail term in the state. [NAN]