metro
Appeal court frees Lagos doctor convicted for defiling wife’s niece
Appeal court frees Lagos doctor convicted for defiling wife’s niece
The Court of Appeal in Lagos has acquitted and discharged the Medical Director of Optimal Cancer Care Foundation, Dr Olufemi Olaleye.
The court upturned the decision of the Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court which had sentenced Dr Olaleye, to life imprisonment for defiling his wife’s 16-year-old niece.
Justice Olukayode Bada who read the lead judgment which was adopted by the two other justices on the panel held that the trial court erred in convicting Dr Olaleye based on “tainted” and ‘unreliable’ evidence of his estranged wife, Oluremi and the alleged survivor.
The other members of the panel were Justice Zainab Abubakar and Justice Abdulazeez Dogo.
The appellate court agreed with the submissions of Olaleye’s lead counsel, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Kemi Pinheiro, who insisted that there were material contradictions in the evidence gathered by the prosecutions which should not have been relied on by the lower court.
The court also faulted some other parts of the evidence of the prosecution during the trial, which was from a child forensic specialist, a medical doctor from the Mirabel centre and the investigating officer, which were found to be “worthless”
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For the appellate court, the trial judge, Justice Rahman Oshodi also descended in the arena and interfered in the proceedings to bridge what it described as “the yawning gaps in the prosecution’s case”.
In the judgment, the court of appeal also queried why the prosecution failed to present material witnesses such as two family members who were said to have witnessed the appellant’s alleged confession.
The court added that a trial within trial ought to have been conducted during the trial to verify the voluntariness of the appellant’s confessional statements while he was in police custody, especially as he said he made it under duress after he had been detained for six days.
The court of appeal determined all five issues of appeal against the prosecution and in favour of the appellant.
Appeal court frees Lagos doctor convicted for defiling wife’s niece
metro
Court strikes out Bobrisky’s fundamental rights suit against EFCC
Court strikes out Bobrisky’s fundamental rights suit against EFCC
Justice Alexander Owoeye of the Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has dismissed a fundamental rights suit instituted against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, by Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju (a.k.a Bobrisky) alleging breach of his rights by the Commission and seeking N200million damages.
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, November 28, 2024, Justice Owoeye held that Bobrisky’s claims of encroachment of his rights lacked merit with no credible evidence to justify the reliefs he sought from the court.
One of the reliefs sought was an “ an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondents” from harassing, declaring him wanted, arresting or detaining him “whether by themselves, their officers, servants, agents…”.
In another relief, Bobrisky prayed the court to award the sum of N200million against the EFCC as damages he allegedly suffered from the activities of the Commission regarding his arrest and trial.
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After evaluating all the reliefs he sought, Justice Owoeye ruled that “having evaluated the evidence placed before this Court by the Applicant, it is evident that the Applicant has failed to provide credible evidence to justify the award of the declaratory and injunctive reliefs sought by him”.
The judge further stated that, “in the final analysis, I hold the claims of violation of fundamental rights against the 1st and 2nd Respondents were not made out of the affidavit evidence placed before this Court. The claim of the Applicant against the 1st to the 2nd Respondents hereby lacks merit and is liable to be dismissed. It is accordingly dismissed”. The judge also refused to award any damage against the EFCC.
Bobrisky had dragged both the EFCC and the National Assembly before the court and all the reliefs he sought were thrown out. He was originally arrested by the EFCC on April 4, 2024 by the Commission for Naira abuse. His arrest eventually led to his six months conviction by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos on April 12, 2024.
Court strikes out Bobrisky’s fundamental rights suit against EFCC
metro
Police arrest 5 suspected trans-border arms dealers, recover 5 Israeli rifles, others
Police arrest 5 suspected trans-border arms dealers, recover 5 Israeli rifles, others
Operatives of the Nigerian Police have arrested 5 suspected trans-border arms dealers during a major operation in Zamfara State.
A statement signed by Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, said the suspects were arrested on 18th November, 2024, with several arms recovered from them.
The statement reads : “The Nigeria Police Force in its unyielding resolution and unwavering commitment to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens, continues to work tirelessly to prevent and combat all forms of crime and criminality.
These relentless efforts are paying off, as the Force has successfully made the arrest of five (5) suspects involved in trans-border gun running. The suspects identified as Adamu Noma ‘m’, Matthew Audu ‘m’, Andrew Poyi ‘m’, Aminu Sani ‘m’, and Aminu Talha ‘m’ were apprehended by the operatives of the FID-IRT on the 18th of November, 2024 in Zamfara State.
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Upon arrest and conducted search, 10 locally fabricated Ak-47 rifles, 5 Isreali Ak-47 rifles, 1 revolver pistol, 1 pump action rifle, 20 rounds of Ak-47 ammunition, and 1 welding machine for fabrication of rifles were recovered from the suspect.
These feats, and several more recorded by police operatives across the country are indications of the steadfastness and commitment of the current police leadership to decimate and subdue criminal activities and insecurity in general in the country.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, PhD., NPM., has re-echoed his directive to operatives of the Force, particularly, tactical units, to mop up every illegal arms and ammunition, and see to the total dismantling of local manufacturers of illicit arms and ammunition and dangerous weapons by all means. ”
Police arrest 5 suspected trans-border arms dealers, recover 5 Israeli rifles, others
metro
Army releases investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo
Army releases investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo
The Nigerian Army has released investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo.
According to the Foundation for Investigative Journalism (FIJ), this development followed an intense media campaign advocating for his release.
In a social media post on Friday, FIJ revealed that the 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, had detained its founder, Fisayo Soyombo, for three days.
“The 6 Division of the Nigerian Army in Port Harcourt has been detaining our founder, Fisayo Soyombo, for three days. Journalism is not a crime,” FIJ wrote.
In its response, the Nigerian Army, through the Acting Deputy Director of 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Danjuma, stated that Soyombo was arrested at an illegal bunkering site.
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Confirming Soyombo’s release on Friday evening, FIJ in a post via X said: “We can confirm that our founder @fisayosoyombo has now been released by @HQNigerianArmy, following the intense media campaign you all mounted.
“FIJ acknowledges the Nigerian Army’s deliberate mischaracterisation to suggest an involvement in “illegal oil bunkering”. FIJ will also address this statement appropriately.
“Our immediate concern is regarding the safety of ‘Fisayo Soyombo in view of extensive information sharing with the Army on his fieldwork during the period of his detention. We are assessing the situation and hoping that his safety will not be jeopardised after release.”
Army releases investigative journalist Fisayo Soyombo
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