by Admin | May 23, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI Justice Rifkatu Sha of Jos High Court on Tuesday warned an accused person, Tasiu Mohammed, 21, against threatening witnesses testifying against him. The warning came when Mohammed was caught making gestures indicating that he would slash the throats of the witnesses, while they stood in the dock. The police, witnesses and officials of the court, who noticed the threats, immediately alerted the judge, who warned Mohammed against such contempt. “You are only luck that the prosecuting counsel did not pray the court to convict you (accused) for contempt, otherwise I would have descended on you. “I will only warn you to desist from threatening witnesses in the court. If you repeat it, I will start by sentencing you to 14 strokes of the cane,” she said. Mohammed, along with two others – Saidu Mohammed, 19, and Umar Shehu 23 – were first arraigned on Feb. 13, charged with criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, robbery and possession of firearms. The police prosecutor, Mr O. S. Osho of the State Criminal Investigation Department, at the arraignment, told the court that the accused persons committed the crime on Sept. 23, 2016 at Clark Quarters, Bukuru in Jos. Osho quoted the accused persons as telling the police, in a confessional statement, that they killed a man, who approached them for help. “The accused persons confessed that the deceased, who came into Jos at about 7 p.m. on the said date, approached them to direct him to where he could lodge, before proceeding on his journey the next day. “The accused persons said that they promised to help, but on realising that the...
by Admin | May 23, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The container intercepted by the Nigeria Customs Service on Tuesday at the Tin Can Island port, Lagos, was loaded with 440 arms and ammunition of various sizes and designs, the Nigeria Customs Service has said. Monday Abue, Zonal Commander, Tin Can Island Command, said the container with registration number PONU 210024/1 was shipped from Turkey and routed through the Lagos port. Speaking after the seizure on Tuesday, Mr. Abue said the consignment was declared as Plaster of Paris by the importer, adding that it was intercepted by the Customs based on intelligence report and that investigations were ongoing to uncover the shipper. According to Mr. Abue, the intercepted 440 pieces of pump action rifles were manufactured in the United States of America and Italy. “They are pump action rifles of various designs and also the single barrel device that you are familiar with. “We have arrested one defendant but due to security reasons, we don’t want to make it public for now because such information could hamper investigations which are still ongoing,” he added. A source had earlier informed us that the container was impounded at the Ports & Cargo Terminal, inside the Tin Can Island port. “The truck carrying the container came out from Ports & Cargo gate before it was stopped at the second gate by Customs officials,” the source added. But Ports & Cargo Terminal responded Tuesday, through its parent company, Sifax Group, denying that the container was found at its terminal. The company stated that the arms-laden container was intercepted at a port access road near its terminal, and not within its premises....
by Admin | May 23, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI Hassan Fajitime, counsel to Rev. Jolly Nyame, former Taraba governor, on Tuesday begged an FCT High Court, Gudu, for an adjournment to enable him peruse documents admitted as exhibits on Monday. Fajimite asked for the adjournment to enable him study the 2007, 2008 and 2009 Financial Reports from the office of the Accountant General of Taraba. The reports were submitted on Monday by defence witness, Aminu Ayuba, the Acting Accountant General of Taraba. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), the counsel to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said, “it is not fair for us spending two days on one witness.” Jacobs, who objected to the adjournment, told the court that the defence is privy to the certified true copies of the exhibits since Monday, adding that “They had been studying it since morning.” The judge, Justice Adebukola Banjoko, ordered that the photocopies of the exhibits be made available to the defence and adjourned the case until May 24. Before the application for adjournment, Fajimite led Ayuba in evidence, where he told the court that by virtue of his position, no query was ever given to Nyame relating to financial misappropriation. He said that he was at Taraba State Government House from 1999 to June 2005, and worked under two chief accountants, and never reported directly to Nyame on financial matters. He also said that every staff must duly sign the payment voucher, including the governor, as he was not exempted. Rev. Jolly Nyame is facing a 41-count charge of misappropriation of state funds to the tune of N1.64billion. source: today...
by Admin | May 23, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The Katsina State Police Command has arraigned a chieftain of the PDP, Umar Tata, for staging a durbar to woo voters in Dutsi ahead of last Saturday’s bye-election for Mashi/Dutsi Federal constituency seat. Mr. Tata was arraigned on Monday before a Katsina Chief Magistrates’ Court on a one-count charge of holding a durbar without police clearance, thereby constituting nuisance to the public. Mr. Tata contested for the governorship of the state in 2015 under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The Police First Information Report (FIR) stated that the accused committed the alleged offence on May 18, 2017 at about 4:00pm. According to the FIR, the accused, without clearance from the police, organized a durbar with other PDP supporters in Dutsi. “The accused at the same Dutsi town engaged in distribution of grains to electorates with the aim of seeking favour from them. “The accused took 250 bags of grains and was openly distributing the commodities to the voters,” the FIR said. The police prosecutor, Ibrahim Garba, a deputy superintendent, told the court that the offence contravened Section 119 of the state penal code law. Counsel to the accused, Uyi Ogunma, however, prayed the court to grant bail to his client, as the offence was bailable. “My Lord, my client is presumed to be innocent based on the provision in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. “My client is a well known person in Katsina state and will never jump bail if granted to him,” he said The Chief Magistrate, Nuraddeen El-Ladans, granted bail to...
by Admin | May 23, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The Kano State police Command, on Tuesday said it had arrested a total of 96 suspected rapists in the state between April and now. The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Magaji Majiya, said at an interaction with newsmen in Kano that 77 of the suspects had been charged to court, while eight cases were under investigation. He gave the average age of the suspects to be from 75 to 23. “It is disheartening to note that from April to date we have recorded 85 incidents of rape and other related offences. “A total number of 96 suspects were arrested and 77 cases have already been charged to court for Prosecution”. Majiya expressed regret that indecency and unnatural offences have been on the increase in the state. He said the Commissioner of Police, Rabiu Yusuf, has made it a priority to ensure that all such cases were thoroughly investigated and prosecuted. The PPRO assured the public that the police would continue to apprehend all suspects involved in crimes. He urged parents and guardians to monitor the movement and behaviour of their children, so as to keep them away from criminal activities. Majiya appealed to religious leaders to collaborate with the command in sensitising the youth on the need to shun evil acts. He further called on traditional rulers, community leaders and other well-meaning residents of the state to join hands with security agencies to fight crime in their communities. source: today...
by Admin | May 23, 2017 | Blog |
Follow @NigeriaPI The Department of State Services has accused businessman and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Oil and Gas Ltd, Ifeanyi Ubah, of diverting about 80 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (commonly called petrol), kept in his custody by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. The agency stated that Ubah shunned NNPC’s repeated demand for the product said to worth N11bn in order to cause an artificial scarcity of the product. It stated that Ubah’s action could plunge the country into widespread scarcity of PMS and economic chaos. According to the agency, the act amounted to economic sabotage punishable by death. These were stated in a counter-affidavit and written submissions filed by the DSS in opposition to an application by Ubah, asking a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory in Jabi, Abuja, to set aside an order for his detention for 14 days. Justice Yusuf Halilu had granted the order to the DSS on May 10, 2017 allowing the agency to keep the suspect in custody for 14 days pending the completion of an ongoing criminal investigation against him. DSS’s lawyer, Mr. G. Agbadua, told Justice Halilu on Tuesday that Ubah was plotting to plunge the nation into economic and social crisis by creating artificial scarcity of petroleum product . The DSS’ counter-affidavit deposed to by one of the agency’s operative, Mr. Safwan Bello, stated, “The respondent (Ubah) was arrested on reasonable suspicion of his involvement in the commission of crime. He converted PMS belonging to the NNPC kept in the custody of his tank farm to his personal use. “The respondent refused to return the PMS to...
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