What is a city without crime? thisislagos descends into the Lagos underground to search out the baddest guys the craziest crimes in LasGidi.
How Ataga’s body was found on his birthday, by witness (Nation)
A Lagos high court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, heard yesterday how the family and friends of SuperTV owner Usifo Ataga searched for him until they found his body in a mortuary on his birthday.
A witness, Rotimi Albert, was giving evidence before Justice Yetunde Adesanya in the trial of Chidinma Ojukwu charged with Ataga’s murder.
Ojukwu, an undergraduate, is being tried with her sister, Chioma Egbuchu, and one Adedapo Quadri.
Albert, who introduced himself as a schoolmate and family friend of the late Ataga, said he tried unsuccessfully to call the deceased on June 17, Ataga’s birthday, to send him birthday wishes. Read more
Lagos NGO exploits sick children, women for alms begging, victims rescued (Punch)
No fewer than 13 sick children and three women transported from Benue State for alms begging in the Egbeda area of Lagos State have been rescued.
PUNCH Metro gathered that an unregistered non-governmental organisation took the victims from their homes in Benue under the pretext of helping them to get medical care.
However, the organisation allegedly turned them into beggars.
The Chief Executive Officer of a rights group, Supreme Family Entertainment International Initiative, Hemni Andrew, said when she got to know about the incident, she informed the police and the victims were rescued from a hotel in Egbeda. Read more
Man who defiled 12-year-old girl gets life imprisonment (Leadership)
Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court sitting in Ikeja yesterday convicted and sentenced a middle-aged artisan, Gbenga Olasunkanmi to life imprisonment for defiling a 12-year-old customer in his shop.
Soladoye handed down the verdict after finding Olasunkanmi guilty of the charge of defilement of a minor proffered against him by the Lagos State government.
In her judgment, the judge held, “Pouncing on an innocent young girl should be something that should be condemned in all ramifications as she has now suffered emotionally and psychologically.
“This callous defendant is mean and vicious and is not fit to live in a sane society. Read more
Court remands man for ‘defiling’ 4-year-old girl in Lagos (Punch)
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered the remand of a 26-year-old unemployed man, Mustapha Baba, for allegedly defiling a four-year-old girl.
The Magistrate, Mrs Ejiro Kubeinje, who did not take the defendant’s plea, ordered that he should be remanded in Kirikri Correctional Centre.
Kubeinje, however, directed the Police to send the case file to the state Director of Public Prosecutions for advice.
She adjourned the case until January 25, 2022 for the DPP’s advice. Read more
Evans: Scared witnesses can testify online, court rules (Nation)
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court, has granted permission to two witnesses who do not want to appear in court to testify against kidnap kingpin, Chukwudimeme Onwuamadike, alias Evans to testify online.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports, that Taiwo gave the approval following an application by the state prosecutor, Ms S.O Fashola that the evidence of two prosecution witnesses be heard in court via audio-visual means on Monday.
“This court is satisfied that the prosecution has given cogent reasons why Section 210 of the Evidence Act 2011and Section 200(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law as amended should avail the prosecution.
“It is stated on the affidavit that the witnesses are concerned for their lives and that of their families and they now live outside the jurisdiction of the court. Read more
Witness narrates how NIMASA’s N1.5b was diverted under Akpobolokemi (NewTelegraph)
Ekene Nwakuche, a Personal Assistant to a former Director General of the National Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Patrick Akpobolokemi, yesterday narrated at a Federal High Court in Lagos, how the sum of N1.5 billion belonging to the agency was diverted while his boss was at the helm. Nwakuche, the 11th prosecution witness in Akpobolokemi’s trial told Justice Ayokunle Faji that the fund was diverted between 2013 and 2015.
Nwakuche, while being led in evidence by EFCC’s lawyer, Rotimi Oyedepo, relied on documents tendered by the anti-graft agency in support of the allegation to buttress his claims.
He narrated several transactions he alleged he was instructed to carry out by the then NIMASA Director of Intelligence Gathering, Captain Bala Agaba, in relation to the fraud.
Agaba is currently serving a seven-year jail term for misappropriating NIMASA funds and breach of trust. The court was shown documents for request and approval of funds on intelligence gathering, which were allegedly diverted. The witness testified that on December 23, 2013, a Committee on Intelligence Gathering unlawfully paid N1.5 billion to companies owned by NIMASA Directors. Read more
Lagos bag repairer jailed for life for defiling 12-year-old pupil (Punch)
The Lagos State Special Offences Court on Tuesday sentenced an artisan, Gbenga Olasunkanmi, to life imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old pupil.
Olasunkanmi was arraigned before Justice Abiola Soladoye on one count of defilement.
The police prosecutor, Peter Owolabani, told the court that the convict defiled the victim around 5pm on September 6, 2017, in the Isolo area of Lagos State.
The victim was said to have gone to repair her school bag in the convict’s shop when her mother told her to return it because the job was not well done. Read more
Billionaire kidnapper, Evans’ co-defendant Chiemeka Arinze, dies in custody (Vanguard)
A co-defendant with alleged billionaire kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, Chiemeka Arinze, has died in prison custody.
Evans is standing trial alongside, Joseph Emeka, Chiemeka Arinze and Udeme Upong, over the attempted kidnap of Chief Vincent Obianodo, the Chairman of the Young Shall Grow Motors, before Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court.
They are facing a seven-count charge of murder, attempted murder, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, attempt to kinda, sale and transfer of firearms.
According to a source who pleaded anonymity, Chiemeka Arinze died on Friday, November 26, 2021. Read more
Cybercrime: Absence of forensic analyst stalls Naira Marley’s trial (Punch)
The absence of a prosecution witness, Augustine Anosike, on Tuesday, stalled the ongoing trial of Nigerian singer, Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Anosike, a forensic analyst, is testifying as a second prosecution witness in the case.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is prosecuting the defendant on charges bordering on cybercrime. Fashola was arrested on May 14, 2019.
The musician, ‘Am I a yahoo boy’ singer, was consequently, arraigned on May 20, 2019, before Justice Nicholas Oweibo, but he pleaded not guilty. Read more
Policeman breaks Lagos trader’s leg for querying nephew’s arrest (Punch)
A trader, Esther Eyo, has demanded justice after suffering multiple fractures in her ankle when men of the Lagos State Police Command allegedly brutalised her at her shop in Oyingbo Market, Ebute Meta.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Eyo and her elder sister’s son, Wasiu Isiaka, were attending to customers when the policemen, who were in mufti, suddenly attempted to whisk her nephew away.
Eyo was said to have demanded explanation for the arrest when one of the policemen allegedly pounced on her.
According to the single mother of three, the policeman kicked her and she lost balance, fell on her left leg and broke her ankle. Read more
NDLEA intercepts 12,385kg drugs smuggled into Lagos on waterways (Channels)
Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the weekend seized 12,385 kilograms of Loud Cannabis, a strong variant of the illicit weed imported from a neighbouring country and smuggled into Lagos through the waterways.
According to NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, the operatives who were acting on credible intelligence stayed on guard knowing that 12, 385 pellets of Loud Cannabis were to be brought in from the West African country through the ocean.
Mr Babafemi noted that the drugs were ferried with boats to the Eko Atlantic Beach, Victoria Island from where they were supposed to be distributed to drug hotspots such as Island, Peti Alagba, and others across Lagos and other states.
“Over 50 narcotic officers stormed the beach on Saturday 27th November 2021, recovered the consignments along with two long trucks, a Toyota Sienna bus, and arrested three suspects. Those arrested include Abdulkadri Zakari, 24; Ka’abu Sausu, 45, and Lawrence Adie, 27,” the NDLEA spokesman further revealed. Read more
Court jails school leaver 7 years for housebreaking (Vanguard)
A Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square on Monday sentenced a 26-year-old man, Solomon Oweicho, to seven years’ imprisonment for housebreaking.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya convicted and sentenced Onweicho, a Secondary School Certificate holder, following his guilty plea to a count charge of housebreaking.
Onweicho admitted guilt under a plea bargain agreement.
Adesanya found Onweicho guilty as charged and held that the sentence would take effect from the time he was remand by a magistrates’ court. Read more
Okada riders allegedly beat police officers, damage patrol van in Lagos (Vanguard)
Two commercial motorcyclists, Jimoh Lasisi and Femi Ajayi, were on Wednesday brought before an Ejigbo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State, for allegedly beating up two police officers and damaging two police patrol vans.
Lasisi, 43, and Ajayi, 35, are standing trial on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, assault and breach of public peace.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, Insp Benedict Aigbokhan, told the court that the defendants and other commercial motorcyclists at large committed the offences on Nov. 22 and Nov 25, at Jakande Estate Gate at Ejigbo. Read more
Man remanded for setting wife ablaze (DailyTrust)
The Lagos State Police Command has arraigned one Anthony Avukeh in an Ebute-Meta chief magistrates’ court for allegedly setting his wife ablaze.
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Olatunde Kehinde, said the 57-year-old man poured some quantity of substance suspected to be petrol on his 45-year-old wife, Peace, and allegedly set her on fire.
Consequently, he was charged with murder and act likely to cause a breakdown of law and order.
The police said the accused committed the crime during a fight with his wife. Read more
Court remands 2 for alleged gang rape of 21-year-old (Vanguard)
An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Wednesday ordered the remand of two men — Ifeanyi Kalu and Kamorudeen Sanyaolu, charged with gang-raping a 21-year-old woman.
Kalu, 25, a barber and Sanyaolu, 25, an artisan, both residents of Ikorodu, Lagos State, were being tried for conspiracy and rape.
Magistrate S.K Matepo, who did not take the defendants’ plea, ordered that they should be remanded in Kirikri Correctional Centre.
Matepo, however, directed the police to send the case file to the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice. Read more
-Compiled by Ope Ajao