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Court rejects bail application of nursing mum’s abductor jailed 70 years

Published

2 years ago

June 25, 2022

Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Nathan Musa

The Chief Judge of Adamawa State, Justice Nathan Musa, has rejected the bail application filed by a kidnapper sentenced to 70 years imprisonment for the abduction of a nursing mother and her one-year-old son.

The convict, one Layi Musa, sought bail pending an appeal filed by his counsel, H. S. Garba, at the Court of Appeal, Yola Division, on the grounds that he was a father of 16 children, ill and would therefore not jump bail.

The father of 16 vigorously sought to be released from prison custody after he was convicted by the state chief judge without an option of a fine for kidnapping, housebreaking, and unlawful possession of weapons on March 1, 2021.

Layi, who appeared in court for the hearing of his bail application pending appeal, had together with Buba Sidiki, Buba Mohammed, and Shanu Kori, his accomplices in the abduction of the victim, Aishatu Suleiman, and her one-year-old son, tried, convicted and sentenced to jail terms after being found guilty of the offence on March 1, 2021.

City Round learnt that the convict and his accomplices on July 6, 2020, at 1am, abducted Aishatu and her son at Yolde-Pate in the Yola South Local Government Area and took them to Chambaji hill.

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Armed with weapons, the kidnappers were said to have stormed the home of their victims through the fence and whisked the duo off to the hill.

Our correspondent learnt that the nursing mother and her child spent two days on the hill and regained their freedom after payment of N1m as ransom.

Upon complaint by the husband, Aliyu Suleiman, who gave the State Intelligence Bureau section of the police command the mobile used by the convicts to contact him and demand ransom, officers of the bureau and the anti-kidnapping unit of the police reportedly tracked and arrested Musa, who was later convicted, while his three accomplices escaped.

Layi, who later confessed to the crime, was tried and convicted at the state high court presided over by Justice Nathan. In his application filed on June 14, he sought an order admitting him to bail pending his appeal before the appellate court.

But the prosecution, in a counter-affidavit in opposing the bail application dated June 14, 2022, and deposed to by Hanis Dedan, said the convict had yet to appeal against the judgement, adding that the period allowed by law for an appeal had elapsed.

The prosecution added that the convict only filed a motion on notice at the Court of Appeal seeking, among other prayers, the enlargement of time within which to appeal against the judgement.

The prosecution further averred that no appeal by the convict was pending at the Court of Appeal, adding that there was no medical report to show that Musa was suffering from any known ailment.

City Round noted that it was further argued that there was no statement given by the Nigerian Correctional Service, indicating a lack of facility to house or take care of the inmates, including the convict, and urged the court to reject the application.

In his ruling, Justice Nathan rejected the bail application for lack of proof of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal to warrant granting bail to the convicted kidnapper and dismissed the application for lack of merit.

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Related Topics:abductor bail court nursing mum

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

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BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

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According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

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EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

6 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

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“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

7 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Trends Admin

Yahaya Bello

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.

The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.

At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.

“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.

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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.

Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.

The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.

After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.

“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.

Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.

The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.