An Ebonyi State High Court, sitting in Abakaliki, has ordered Governor David Umahi and his Deputy, Eric Kelechi Igwe to remain in office.
Trial Judge, Hon. Justice Henry Njoku, noted that the judgement of the same court on 28th February, 2022, with regards to the defection of the Governor and his Deputy to the All Progressives Congress (APC), remains valid as a judgement in rem, which is binding on all parties, persons and authorities.
The Court obseved that Umahi and his Deputy have secured an Order from the High Court of Ebonyi State asking them not to vacate their offices,
The order of court reads in part: “it is hereby ordered as follows: An interim order of this honourable court for seven (7days) subject to renewal is hereby granted in view of its judgement in suit No. HAB/13/2022, being a judgement in rem and having precedence over any subsequent contrary judgement.”
“The applicants, Engr. David Nweze Umahi and Dr. Eric Kelechi Igwe shall accordingly remain and not be removed from office as Governor and Deputy of Ebonyi State respectively,” the Court held.
Governor Umahi and his Deputy had approached the court for an order to remain in office, pending the hearing and determination of an Appeal filed on their defection from the PDP to the APC.
Three persons have been remanded in the custody of the Correctional Centre by a Benin High Court, Criminal Division, for alleged, conspiracy, malicious damage of property of the Christ Embassy Church, promoting Native war, illegal possession of fire arms, amongst other charges.
The Defendants; Sunny Ibude, 50, Monday Osabohien, 42 and Godspower Igbinosun, 36 and others now at large, between the 18th February 2022 and 10th March 2022, at Loveworld Crusade Ground A.K.A Christ Embassy Church International Inc., KM 10, Benin/Sapele Road, Benin CIty, conspired to commit felony to wit; llegal possession of fire arms, an offence contrary to section b (D) and punishable under section 3 (1) of the Robbery and Firearms ( Special Provisions) Act Cap R.11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
The Defendants and others now at large, with intent to commit crime, were caught in possession and control of one English made pump action gun JOSEF MAGNUM with Breach No. 19-TX-2086 and one locally made double barrel gun, without a valid license issued by the appropriate authority and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 3 (1) of the Robbery and Firearms ( Special Provisions) Act Cap R.11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Sunny Ibude, Monday Osabohien, Godspower Igbinosun and others now at large, between the 18/2/2022 and 10/3/2022, at about 0200hrs, at Loveworld CrusadebGround, km 10, Sapele Road, Benin City, allegedly conducted themselves in a manner of Promoting Native war, an offence punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code.
The Defendants and others now at large, while allegedly armed with guns and otner dangerous weapons, in a warlike manner, forcefully entered and took possession of a land, in the actual and peaceable possession of Christ Embassy Church Incorporated and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 42 of the Criminal Code.
The Prosecution also alleged that the Defendants on the relevant details, place and time, assaulted one Desmond Apebeen, CSO Clement Aikpokpo and Pastor Godfrey Esiegbe by beating them up with fist blows all over their bodies, which caused them harm.
The Defendants and others now at large, allegedly mobilized themselves to the Loveworld Camp Ground A.KA Christ Embassy Church International Incorporated, KM 10, Benin/Sapele Road, Benin City, where they wilfully and unlawfully damaged the building fence of the Loveworld Camp Ground, valued Five Million Naira (N5,000,000.00), property of Christ Embassy Church International Incorporated, offence punishable under section 451 of the Criminal Code.
It was further alleged by the Prosecution that the Defendants and others now at large, conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace and unlawfully entered into the piece of land measuring 21,005 hectares, (4000ft by 5831ft) and (200ft by 2,324ft) covered by Certificate of occupancy No. EDSR 16894 dated 25th day of January 2010 which is in the actual and peaceable possession of Believers Loveworld Incorporated and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 81 of the Criminal Code.
Trial Judge, Hon. Justice Efe Ikponmwoba, accordingly, remanded them in the Correctional Centre and ordered that their case file be duplicated and forwarded to the office of the State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), for legal advice, while the matter was adjourned to March 29, 2022 for mention.
Gagging of the press by security agents was brought to the fore when a Court duty Policewoman prevented Journalists from covering proceedings by shutting the door of a Federal High Court number one sitting in Benin city.
The Journalists waited outside the Court room patiently and we’re told by the police on duty that there was no space for them to sit on.
When the fraud case involving the former scepter bearer to the oba of Benin was called at about 1:30 pm, the Court duty Police, identified as Felicia, immediately shut the door to the Court that was open since 8am.
Upon enquiry, she insisted that it is her duty to say who will or will not enter the Court room.
The celebrated case came up after about eighteen other matters were dispensed with for the day, thus reducing the numbers of court attendees inside the court room, whereas, the court duty Policewoman insisted that the court room was still filled to capacity.
Asked what necessitated shutting of the door at that point in time, she said nobody can teach her to do her job, emphasizing that she had orders to bar Journalists from covering the Court proceedings.
The fraud case involving Roland Osagbaekhoe Omo Ogbebor was earlier slated for argument on his bail.
The Defendant was alleged to have used his company to defraud a victim to the tune of thirty one million naira under the pretence of selling some percels of land for him I Okhuoromi community.
The Defendant was arraigned before the court by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and was consequently remanded in the Correctional Centre on February 9, 2022 by the Presiding Judge, Hon. Justice S.M. Shuaibu.
Susan Oboh, a final year student of the University of Benin, has died after she was reportedly shot by suspected robbers on March 3 in Benin, Edo State.
She was a pharmacy student. She was said to have died at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital on Saturday night after efforts to save her life by medical personnel failed.
The News Agency Nigeria (NAN) learnt that Miss Oboh became a victim of the incident when she was seeing off her visitor at the Osasogie area, a community close to the university gate.
A source told NAN that the deceased was rushed to the university teaching hospital, while funds were raised through various social media platforms for her medical treatment.
“The death has thrown the university community into mourning because Susan was very nice, jovial and enterprising.
“She was billed to graduate in April except for the ongoing ASUU (Academic Staff Union of Universities) strike,” said the source.
While the university management is yet to react to the development, Foster Amadin, President of the Students Union in the institution, described the loss as saddening.
Mr Amadin told NAN that the union would join hands with the police to ensure justice was served in the matter. “Basically for now, it is a moment of grief for the university community. We are not really happy the way it went and, of course, there could be a way to push for justice.
“We want to know what really happened. We will be making a move to the police division to gather more information, and know what they already have in their file. “We will be doing our own procession in school just to honour her. Before now, in our own particular order and ability, we have tried. “We donated blood when it was needed and contributed finance when money was needed. But God is the ultimate and final healer. “We are not happy as it happened; we are grieved and we just pray for the family to bear the loss,” he said. The students’ union leader, however, urged the government to scale up security around the university environment.
The police spokesperson Edo State, Kontong Bello, who confirmed the incident to NAN on Monday in Benin, said investigation has commenced on it. “Yes, it was reported at the Ugbowo Division that she was shot and there is yet to be any arrest,” Mr Bello said.
The Catholic Diocese of Enugu has confirmed an attack on a Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Bartholomew Chime, in the evening of February 25, 2022, along Ninth Mile area, Enugu, while he was on a pastoral work.
Director of communicatiins, Enugu Diocese, Rev. Fr. Benjamin Achi, said, Monday afternoon, that the priest had been rescued and was receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital in the state.
Rev. Fr. Achi, said Fr. Chime, who was ordained a priest in December, was badly shot on his leg by the gunmen.
“He was travelling. Armed men accosted him and then stopped him and were demanding money from him. So, he told them he doesn’t have money.”
“They collected the things he had and eventually shot him on the leg and put him in the trunk of the car and drove off,” Rev. Fr. Achi stated.
According to him, the gunmen stopped at a tollgate around the Enugu-Onitsha Road, brought out the priest from the car boot, dumped him in a nearby bush and drove awayin his car.
The Diocesan Spokesperson disclosed that Rev. Fr. Chime managed to come out of the bush and dragged himself to the road where he started calling for help, adding that the Priest’scar was yet to be recovered.
It was a dramatic turn at the Federal High court in Abuja when two Defence Counsel engaged in hot argument over the plea of guilt entered by two Defendants during the arraignment of the suspended DCP Abba KIYARI and some others standing trial for alleged cocaine deal.
The Defence Counsel, E. U. Okenyi, whose clients pleaded guilty to three of the eight count charge of illicit cocaine dealing, defended the decision taken by the two co-defendants.
Mr E. U. Okenyi, who was present at the proceedings when the duo pleaded guilty to three of the eight charges at the Federal High Court in Abuja, said their decision was not based on ignorance, as against submission of Abba Kiyari’s Counsel, Kanu Agabi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, that they pleaded guilty out of ignorance and that their plea of guilt might jeopardize the case of other Defendants.
Okenyi argued that his clients; Chibuna Umeibe and Emeka Ezenwanne, couldn’t have pleaded guilty to the counts 5,6 and 7 out of ignorance, while he was present and represented them in Court.
On his part, Counsel to the Prosecuting National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Joseph Sunday, urged the Court to order the review of facts of the case of the two Defendants, in other to set the stage for their sentencing.
Kyari’s lead Counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), a former Attorney-General of the Federation, objected to the prosecuting lawyer’s request, stressing that should the court convict and impose a sentence on the duo, it would jeopardise and will be pre-judicial to Kyari and the other four Defendants’case.
Kiyari and the four other Police Officers, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The trial Judge, Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite, directed both Prosecuting and Defence Counsel to address the court on points of law concerning their arguments and adjourned the matter to March 14 and 28, for the hearing of Mr Kyari’s and the remaining four Defendants’ bail applications.
Others charged alongside Abba Kyari are Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP Sunday Ubua, Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirigba, Inspector John Nuhu, Chibuinna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.
THE CHARGES
The charge sheet marked FHC/ABJ/CR/57/2022 was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja and endorsed by one Joseph Sunday, the NDLEA Director, Prosecution and Legal Services.
Count one read: “That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male, on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, at the office of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abuja conspired amongst themselves with ASP John Umoru (now at large) to deal in 17.55 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count two read: “That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male, Adult on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dealt in 17.55 kilogrammes of cocaine without lawful authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count Three: “That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male, all male, Adult on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, within the office of the Inspector-General of (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves and with ASP John Umoru (now at large) to unlawfully tamper with 21.35 kilogramames of cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka AlphonsEzenwannne in the custody of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), by removing and disposing 17.55 kilogrammes of the cocaine and by substituting same with some other substance and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004”
Count Four: That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male adults on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, within the office of the Inspector-General of (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable unlawfully tampered with 21.35 kilogramames of cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwannne in the custody of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), by removing and disposing 17.55 kilogrammes of the cocaine and substituting same with some other substance and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 16 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.
Count Five: That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male adult and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 19th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count Six: That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 25th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to an punishable under section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count Seven: That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult and one IK, now at large, on the 25th January 2022, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly possessed 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count Eight: That you DCP Abba Kyari, on or about 25th January 2022, at a restaurant on Port Harcourt Crescent, Area 11, Garki Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, attempted to obstruct the Agency and its authorised officers in the exercise of their duties by offering the sum of $61,400.00 USD (sixty-one thousand, four hundred United States of America Dollars) to a senior officer of the Agency as inducement to prevent the testing of the 17.55 kilogrammes of substance used to replace the cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 23 and punishable under section 49 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
A new born baby boy that was abandoned in a waste bin, has been rescued by the Zamfara State Command of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The baby was dumped naked in a waste bin by an unkown person in Ungwan Yerima Community in Gusau Local Government of the state.
Spokesperson of the Command, Ikor Oche, disclosed that following information received by Command, the Corp’s Medical team and intelligence Departments were directed to ensure safe rescue of the child and give him proper medical attention.
The Spokesperson added that the day old child was consequently handed the child over to the Gusau local Government sole Administrator, who in turn, took him to an Orphanage under the monitoring and supervision of the Zamfara State NSCDC.
The owner of Hilton hotel, Rahmon Adedoyin, and six others have been remanded in the Ileda Correctional Centre over the death of a student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Timothy Adegoke.
The Chief Judge of Osun State, Justice Oyebola Adepele-Ojo made the order when the Defendants were arraigned before the court on11 counts bothering on conspiracy, murder felony among others.
The Defendants; Adegoke, Adedeji Adesola, Magdalene Chiefuna, Adeniyi Aderogba, Oluwale Lawrence, Oyetunde Kazeem, and Adebayo Kunle, however, pleaded not guilty to all the counts.
The Prosecution urged the court to remand the Defendants in Ilesa Correctional Centre while, the Defence Counsel, Rasheed Adegoke, SAN told the Court that applications for bail had been filled for six of the Defendants on health grounds.
Hon. Justice Adepele-Ojo ordered that the Defendants be remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre and that ruling on their bail applications will be to delivered when the bail application of the seventh Defendant, Adedeji Adesola is brought before the Court.
The deceased Adegoke, a postgraduate student of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), was said to have traveled from Abuja to write an exam at a distance learning centre in Moro, Osun state on November 5, 2021, and lodged in the Hilton Hotel and Resort, Ile-Ife.
He was declared missing two days later only to be found dead, leading to the arrests of the owner and Staffof the hotel where he lodged.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) on Thursday filed 8 counts of hard drug trafficking against the suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police DCP, Abba Kyari.
The charge, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/57/2022 was filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja and endorsed by one Joseph Sunday, the NDLEA Director, Prosecution and Legal Services.
Others charged alongside Abba Kyari are Assistant Commissioner of Police ACP Sunday Ubua, Assistant Superintendent of Police ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirigba, Inspector John Nuhu, Chibuinna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne.
Count one read: “That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male, on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, at the office of Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abuja conspired amongst themselves with ASP John Umoru (now at large) to deal in 17.55 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count two read: “That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J. Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male, Adult on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court dealt in 17.55 kilogrammes of cocaine without lawful authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(c) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act, CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count Three: “That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male, all male, Adult on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, within the office of the Inspector-General of (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court conspired amongst yourselves and with ASP John Umoru (now at large) to unlawfully tamper with 21.35 kilogramames of cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka AlphonsEzenwannne in the custody of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), by removing and disposing 17.55 kilogrammes of the cocaine and by substituting same with some other substance and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004”
Count Four: That you DCP Abba Kyari, ACP Sunday J Ubua, ASP Bawa James, Inspector Simon Agirgba and Inspector John Nuhu, all male adults on or about the 19th to 25th January 2022, within the office of the Inspector-General of (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable unlawfully tampered with 21.35 kilogramames of cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwannne in the custody of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Intelligence Response Team (IRT), by removing and disposing 17.55 kilogrammes of the cocaine and substituting same with some other substance and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 16 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.
Count Five: That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male adult and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 19th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu Nigeria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 14(b) of the National Drug Law enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count Six: That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult on or about the 25th January 2022 at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court without lawful authority imported 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to an punishable under section 11(a) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency ACT CAP N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count Seven: That you Chibunna Patrick Umeibe, male, adult; and you Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne, male adult and one IK, now at large, on the 25th January 2022, at Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court knowingly possessed 21.35 kilogrammes of cocaine and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 11(d) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
Count Eight: That you DCP Abba Kyari, on or about 25th January 2022, at a restaurant on Port Harcourt Crescent, Area 11, Garki Abuja, within the jurisdiction of the court, attempted to obstruct the Agency and its authorised officers in the exercise of their duties by offering the sum of $61,400.00 USD (sixty-one thousand, four hundred United States of America Dollars) to a senior officer of the Agency as inducement to prevent the testing of the 17.55 kilogrammes of substance used to replace the cocaine seized from Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 23 and punishable under section 49 of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
No date has been fixed for the arraignment of the Defendants.
Abba Kyari was charged with the criminal offences alongside four other senior police officers and two civilians.
An Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Abdulkareem Ojonla Jimoh, has been crushed by a commercial bus, which suffered break failure on the Sagamu-Ore-Benin expressway.
The white 18-seater Toyota Hiacebpassenger bus with registration number NEM 618 AA was also said to have reportedly ran over a motorist whose papers were being examined by road safety Officers as at the time of the incident.
The FRSC’s commander of the Sagamu-Benin corridor, Lasisi Ogundele, who confirmed the incident, said the Marshall was seriously injured and died on the way to the hospital.
He disclosed that the breake failure occurred while the passenger bus was coming from the Sagamu axis, a few meters from the Ajebandele bridge before the military checkpoint.
“the marshal was seriously injured and lost his life on the way to the hospital while the suspected traffic offender, who also sustained serious injury was rushed to Glory field Hospital, Ajebandele and subsequently taken to General Hospital Ore where he also lost his life.”
Ogundele added that the deceaseds’ have been deposited at a morgue in Ore, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ogun state.
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