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Abba Kyari: Court to rule March 22 on request to quash charge
A Federal High Court in Abuja has fixed March 22 to rule on an application filed by the suspended (Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Abba Kyari and three other suspended police officers.
They are challenging the competence of criminal charges on which they are being tried.
Justice Emeka Nwite chose the date for ruling after listening to submissions by lawyers to the prosecution and defence.
The former IRT boss was also charged alone with attempting to obstruct NDLEA officials in the conduct of their activities by offering them bribe.
Arguing the application yesterday, lead defence lawyer, Nureni Jimoh, SAN, prayed the court to quash the charge and discharge clients on the grounds that the defendants, who are serving police officers, were yet to be subjected to the internal disciplinary action of the Nigeria Police Council (NPC) and the Police Service Commission (PSC), as required by law.
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The senior advocate contended that the failure on the part of the complainant (NDLEA) to await the outcome of the disciplinary mechanisms of the NPF in relation to his clients has rendered the charge incompetent and denied the court jurisdiction to proceed with the trial.
He argued that the utilisation of the internal disciplinary mechanisms of the Nigeria Police Council (NPC) and Police Service Commission (PSC) provided by the Constitution was a condition precedent before the defendants could be subjected to any external prosecution.
Nureni further argued that though the disciplinary action taken by the NPC and PSC had commenced earnestly and the applicants had previously answered queries issued to them by the police authorities before this charge was filed against the applicants, the charge wrongly truncated the disciplinary procedure commenced by these authorities.
He claimed that the officers were unable to stand trial before the Force Disciplinary Committee because they were arrested by the NDLEA.
“It is an administrative procedure of the police. The NDLEA only went and hijacked it,” Nureni said.
He stressed that the disciplinary power of the PSC cannot be shared with anybody or agency, including the NDLEA.
Responding, prosecuting lawyer, Joseph Sunday, opposed the application and prayed the court to dismiss it.
Sunday contended that most of the cases cited by the senior lawyer did not relate with Police Service Act, saying the instant charge against the defendant was a criminal matter.
He argued that the defendants have not, either by their application or affidavit evidence, established any condition precedent required before the filing of the charge.
“To that extent, their application failed and bereft of any factual evidence,” he said.
He urged the court to dismiss the application and proceed with the trial.
The Nation
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BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists
BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists
A Federal High Court in Borno State has ordered the release of at least 313 suspected terrorists detained by the military.
The court ordered their release due to a lack of evidence to charge the suspects after the investigation.
Maj. Gen. Buba Edward, the Director of Defence Media Operations, announced this during the operational briefing on Thursday in Abuja.
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He said, “The court ordered the release for want of evidence after the conclusion of investigation and other ancillary matters.
“Accordingly, they would be handed over to the Borno State Government for further action.”
BREAKING: Court orders military to release 313 suspected terrorists
metro
Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m
Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m
One David Ojonugwa has been remanded for allegedly stealing his boss’ N54,142,000 in Lagos State.
An Ebute-Metta Magistrates’ Court ordered the remand of the 25-year-old defendant on Wednesday.
Ojonugwa was arraigned by the police on three counts bordering on conspiracy, unlawful interference with property, and stealing.
He pleaded guilty to the charges preferred against him by the police.
Consequently, magistrate Adedayo Tella remanded Ojonugwa at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till April 24, 2024 for the review of facts and sentencing.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Inspector Francisca Job, informed the court that the defendant committed the alleged offences sometime in January 2024 at Lorange Water Factory, located at No 3, Olajubu Street, Ilupeju area of Lagos State.
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According to Job, Ojonugwa unlawfully disconnected, removed, tampered, and meddled with one 10KVA generator valued at N250,000, a 12 HP submersible pump machine valued at N200,000, an electric motor for a water line, N1.8m, and bottled water machine, N1m.
Others are one injection machine module at N12m, injection machine module, N14m, one set of four cavity module bottles (150CL) at N9m, one set of four cavity module bottles (75CL), valued at N8m, one set of four cavity module bottles (25CL), valued at N5m, one electric for motor shrink wrapper (75KW) valued at N110,000, two floating switches for the bottled water line valued at N20,000, 200 stainless bolts and nuts for installation valued at N92,000, six stainless rods for the installation of the water line valued at N200,000 and 1,000 pieces of medium-sized catfishes valued at N40,000, items that were stolen by the defendant.
She said that the total value of the items stolen was N54,142,000, properties of one Mrs Teju Adeleke.
According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 340, and 287 (7) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.
Lagos court sends 25-year-old man to prison for stealing employer’s N54.1m
metro
Have mercy on me, armed robbery suspect who killed police officer begs govt
Have mercy on me, armed robbery suspect who killed police officer begs govt
Fayoade told newsmen on Wednesday while parading the suspect and 59 others in Lagos, that the suspect also stole another policeman’s rifle in Abeokuta and was declared wanted with his gang members by the Ogun Police Command.
He said that the suspect, simply identified as Seun and his gang had been terrorising Ogun and Lagos States respectively, claiming to be an engineer repairing computers and phones before he ventured into armed robbery.
Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the parade, the suspect claimed he was doing well in his business until he met a friend called Bado, who introduced him to the robbery operation.
He said their first operation was at Abeokuta, where they went to rob in a two-storey building, adding that he scaled the fence of the building to have access into the compound.
“I was the one who scaled the fence and opened the gate for others to come in. Immediately we entered the building, a policeman guarding the building ran into the toilet.
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“We picked up his rifle and left the place. It was one of us called Michael, who took the rifle to his house.
“Since I joined robbery, I have not killed before now. In our second operation in Lagos, we only collected phones and money.
“We have robbed in Oshodi, Ikorodu and Ifo area of Ogun. We also collected the vehicle from the owner at Abeokuta.
“The motor was driven away by Bado who is our leader. I was introduced to Bado by one Amechi.
“I have once worked with a politician at Mowe, but because he abandoned me and I have nothing to do again, that was why I decided to join robbery. I regret my actions,” he said.
The suspect further claimed that he had only collected ₦210,000 from the proceeds of the three robbery operations he participated in before his arrest.
He appealed to the government to have mercy on him, assuring that if given the opportunity again, he would never return to armed robbery.
Meanwhile, the Commissioner of Police said the suspect would be charged in court after the conclusion of the investigation.
Have mercy on me, armed robbery suspect who killed police officer begs govt
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