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Court releases man in Lagos prison after 15 years without trial

Published

2 days ago

July 2, 2024

Court releases man in Lagos prison after 15 years without trial

In Lagos State, one Kazeen Adeshina has regained his freedom after spending 15 years behind bars without charge or trial.

The release of Adeshina from correctional facility was orddred on Monday by an Ikeja high court.

Justice Oyindamola Ogala gave the order while ruling in a fundamental rights enforcement suit marked No: D/16997MFHR/24 filed by Adeshina’s counsel, Ben Okeke.

Ogala, in her ruling, averred that the arrest and continued detention of Adeshina in the custody of the Medium Correctional Centre, Kirikiri, Lagos without a trial was wrong, unlawful and unjustifiable.

She added that it was a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification Enforcement Act, Cap.10.

“As afore-stated, there is unchallenged fact that this applicant has remained in custody for about 15 years and is yet to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.

“The presumption of innocence enshrined in our constitution remains sacrosanct and it is indeed a travesty of justice for this to occur without administration of criminal justice, no matter where the delay emanates from.

“Counsel to the first respondent has exhibited correspondence to the police to transfer the suspect for arraignment since 2003 which has remained unattended to and it appears that this applicant has fallen through the cracks and thus remained in custody for such years without trial.

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“The presumption of innocence in our constitution remains sacrosanct and it is clear to this court that no good cause has been exhibited necessitating the continued remand of the applicant and therefore this court finds that the applicant is entitled to the declaratory order sought,” she said.

The judge, thereafter, ordered the immediate and unconditional release of the applicant from the custody of the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre.

The applicant’s counsel, Okeke, had filed the suit against the Lagos state attorney-general, the commissioner of police and the Controller, Nigerian Correctional Service, Lagos state as first to third respondents, respectively.

The applicant had prayed the court for a declaration that the arrest and continued detention of Adeshina in custody without a formal charge or trial was wrongful, illegal, unjustifiable and a gross violation of the applicant’s fundamental human rights.

The applicant’s counsel said: “An order directing the immediate and unconditional release of the applicant from the custody of the third respondent, Medium Correctional Centre, Kirikiri Lagos.

“An injunction restraining the respondents, their agents or privies from further breach of the applicants’ fundamental human rights as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as amended.

“An order admitting the applicant to bail pending his arraignment in court and for such further or other orders as this Honourable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.

“The applicant filed in support of the application, the affidavit of urgency of six paragraphs as well as a supporting affidavit of 15 paragraphs deposed to by Joe Ameh, the Executive Coordinator in the office of Zarephath Aid dated March 8.”

The applicant’s counsel referred the court to the provisions of Section 35 (1) of the Constitution and submitted that it was inferable that whenever a deprivation of right to personal liberty is sought pursuant thereto, such deprivation must satisfy two conditions to satisfy the approval of the constitution.

Court releases man in Lagos prison after 15 years without trial

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Father, son accused of stealing N75m from Lagos firm

Published

2 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Babatunde Ishola and his father, Bayo

Father, son accused of stealing N75m from Lagos firm

Thirty-one-year-old Babatunde Ishola and his father, Bayo, have been remanded by the court at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly stealing N75m belonging to a lotto company in Lagos State.

The defendants were arraigned on two counts of stealing and diversion of funds at the Yaba Magistrates’ Court in the state.

The duo were alleged to have taken money from the company’s account and diverted it to their accounts and those of their cohorts who are now at large.

In a document signed by the police prosecutor, Mike Enejere, the first defendant, Babatunde, served as the account officer of the lotto company as the funds were diverted between 2020 and 2023.

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The charge read in part, “That you, Ishola Mubarak Babatunde, Ishola Rasheed Bayo, and others now at large, between 2020 and 2023, at Lotgrand Limited, a registered lotto company in Lagos, within the Magisterial District of this Honourable Court, conspired amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit stealing. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.

“That you, Ishola Mubarak Babatunde and others now at large, on the same date, place and within the Magisterial District of the aforementioned, did steal the sum of seventy-five million naira (N75,000,000), property of Lotgrand Limited, Lagos, while you served as the account officer, as you dishonestly and fraudulently diverted the said sum belonging to Lotgrand Limited, a registered lotto company, to your personal account and that of your cohorts.”

“You hereby committed an offence punishable under Section 287 (8) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015.”

The duo were remanded at the Kirikiri Correctional Centre pending the meeting of their bail conditions of N10m with two sureties in like sum.

The Magistrate, Mojisola Salau, adjourned the case till September 3, 2024, for further hearing.

Father, son accused of stealing N75m from Lagos firm

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NSCDC female official accused of duping jobseekers N12.4m detained

Published

2 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Mrs Tosin Olagunju

NSCDC female official accused of duping jobseekers N12.4m detained

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Wednesday, ordered that an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Mrs Tosin Olagunju, be remanded in Suleja prison, Niger State, for obtaining N12.4m from job seekers under false pretence, with the promise that she could secure them employment.

Mrs Olagunju, who was arraigned on four counts, for scamming job seekers, pleaded not guilty to the charge after it was read to her.

After the defendant took her plea, the prosecuting lawyer, Princewill Eke, applied for a date for the commencement of trial.

The defence lawyer, M. A. Oloniruka, however, informed the court that he had filed a bail application shortly before the court commenced sitting.

The application was however not in the court’s file and was on this note, not ripe for hearing.

Oloniruka, being informed of the situation of his application, sought to apply orally for his client’s bail.

Justice Nyako however rejected the defence lawyer’s request to be allowed to apply orally for bail, noting that the court is a court of record hence all applications must be formal and in writing.

Nyako proceeded to order that Olagunju be remanded in prison pending the hearing of her bail application scheduled for October 9.

“This matter is adjourned till October 9 for trial. The defendant should be remanded in Suleja correctional centre,” she said.

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Olagunju, said to reside in Karu Site, Abuja, in a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/183/2024, filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police, was accused of the following:

Count one of the charges read: sometime between 2010 and 2023, you, Tosin Comfort Olagunji, obtained by false pretence and with intent to defraud Nigerians, including Billi Haruna Bwala, the sum of N12,400,000.00 in the pretence that you have the capacity of securing them employment with the Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps and thereby defrauding them of N12, 400,000.00 and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(1)© of the Advance Free Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act 2006.

Count two reads: “That you Olagunju Comfort (f) of Karu Site, Abuja, sometime between 2020 and 2023 within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire with others to commit an office to wit: criminal conspiracy thereby commit an offence punishable under Section 97(1) of the Panel Code Act, 2004.”

In count three, she was alleged to have, between 2020 and 2023, “being in any manner entrusted with services of securing employment with Nigeria Security & Civil Defence Corps for Nigerians and dishonestly convert the sum of N12, 400,000.00 to your own use in violation of the direction of law prescribing the mode in which such trust is to be discharged and thereby commit an offence contrary to Section 311 and punishable under Section 312 of the Penal Code Act 2004.”

Count four reads: “That you, Olagunju Comfort, (F) of Karu Site, Abuja sometime between 2010 and 2023 fraudulently and dishonestly induced some Nigerians to part with the sum of N12,400,000.00 and thereby cheating them of the said sum and causing damage to them and thereby commit an offence contrary to Section 320 and punishable under Section 322 of the Penal Code Act 2004.”

NSCDC female official accused of duping jobseekers N12.4m detained

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Protesting youths set INEC office ablaze in Benue

Published

2 hours ago

July 4, 2024

Trends Admin

Protesting youths set INEC office ablaze in Benue

Some aggrieved youths in Benue State burnt down the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sankara, headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area, on Wednesday.

National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, confirmed this in a statement.

Olumekun quoted Prof. Sam Egwu, Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue as saying the youths invaded the facility around 2pm.

“The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Benue State, Professor Sam Egwu has reported that our Local Government Area office in Sankara, headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area, has been attacked and burnt down.

“The incident occurred at 2 p.m. today, Wednesday 3rd July 2024, when the youths in the area were said to be protesting against the activities of bandits who attacked facilities of government agencies, including INEC.

“Although no casualties were reported, the building has been extensively damaged. Office furniture and other movable and immovable materials, including 10 electric generators, 300 ballot boxes, and 270 voting cubicles, were destroyed in the attack.”

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Governor Hyacinth Alia had declared an indefinite curfew on Ukum Local Government Area as a result of violent protest.

Our correspondent reports that heavy protests broke out in Sankera in the early hours of Wednesday following the fresh killings of 11 people by armed outlaws who have severally gone on rampage in the area and meted cruelty to the inhabitants.

The protesters were alleged to have torched the council’s secretariat as they laid dead bodies of victims on the parking lot of the Council Chairman, Victor Iorzaa.

Iorzaa had told journalists in Makurdi earlier that he could not comment on the matter.

The governor who imposed the curfew through his deputy, Barr. Sam Ode, cited the grave security situation in the region which has led to the wanton destruction of property leading to instability of the area as reason for his action.

“Beginning today, 3rd July 2024, a curfew be imposed on Ukum Local Government and environs beginning from 3pm to 3pm of tomorrow 4th July 2024.

“The curfew shall be observed from 6pm to 6am beginning from tomorrow 4th of July 2024 untill further notice.”

Alia further called for calm, saying security operatives had been deployed in their numbers to keep the peace in Ukum in particular and the Sankera region at large.