Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Abba

Anyone caught formenting trouble before, during and after tomorrow's Presidential Election would be dealt with according to the laws of the land so says the Police High Command in Lagos State.

Commissioner of Police, Suleiman Abba who gave the warning, assured members of the public that about thirty thousand policemen have been deployed to all the eight thousand four hundred and fifty-four polling units in the state.

Abba said apart from the policemen, other security agencies such as the State Security Services, Nigerian Customs, Immigration, Army, are also going to support the Police in the all important Elections.

According to him, all the supporting agencies have been briefed and mobilised to provide adequate security for a peaceful conduct of the election.

He implored the general public to continue to partner with the security agencies involved in the election for peace and success.

.........................................

Apapa Customs command generates N50.2 blln revenue.

Idris Suleiman, Comptroller of Apapa Area 1 Command of Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said the command generated N50.2 billion revenue between January and March 2011. Suleiman told newsmen in Lagos on Friday that the amount was against the N42.9 billion realised in the corresponding period in 2010. He attributed the improvement to the commitment and dedication of the management of NCS, led by its Comptroller-General, Dikko Abdullahi. The comptroller said the support of the management of the command also contributed to the revenue generated. Suleiman, however, said the revenue of the command fell slightly from N19.2 billion in February 2011 to N16.8 billion in March. According to him, this was due to the transfer of containers to other bonded terminals and inland containers like Kirikiri and Lilypond in Ijora. The comptroller said this was evidence that APM Terminals had complied with the instruction to start transferring containers to the bonded terminals. Suleiman said the command made 38 seizures with Duty Paid Value (DPV) of N261.7 million in the first three months of this year. He said this was against the 18 seizures with DPV of N107.7 million recorded in corresponding period in 2010. The comptroller said the command would continue to strictly enforce regulations of government on prohibited goods. “For importers and agents who have maintained high ethics in their conduct, we will lend our total support. For others who go about defrauding government; we will arrest, seize the offending goods and prosecute them.

..........................................

Woman denies being lover to prophet who allegedly duped her of N17 million. A London-based architect, Oladele Oni on Friday denied being the lover of one Prophet Israel Ogundipe, who allegedly defrauded her of over N17 million. Ogundipe is facing a six-count charge which includes forgery and collecting money by false pretense at an Ikeja High Court in Lagos presided over by Justice Olabisi Akinlade. Oni, who was being cross-examined by the counsel to the accused, Olusegun Raji told the court that she never had any romantic relationship with Ogundipe , a Prophet of the Celestial Church of Christ. She said the allegations being made by the accused person that they were lovers was aimed at blackmailing her into forfeiting her landed property in his possession. According to Oni, the claim by Ogundipe that she had a child for him nearly ruined her 16 year old marriage and compelled her to undertake a DNA test to prove the paternity of the child. She said the test results already admitted as an exhibit by the court shows that the accused was not the father of the child because they never had any sexual relationship. However, Raji who accused the witness of lying, told the court that she was indeed involved in a romantic relationship with Ogundipe. The defense counsel alleged that it was when the accused person quitted his relationship with Oni that she started accusing him of fraud. Raji tendered a photograph taken in 2004 at an eatery in Lagos which showed Ogundipe, Oni and another lady and asked the court to admit it as exhibit. He further asked the court to admit as exhibit, a letter of invitation to the United Kingdom written on March 7, 2006 to Ogundipe and the British High Commission. Akinlade, who admitted them as Exhibits D5 and D6 respectively, however, refused to admit another letter written by Oni to one Babatunde Solomon Sanyaolu inviting him to the United Kingdom. During his arraignment on Oct. 14, 2010, the prosecuting counsel, Mrs Olabisi Ogungbesan alleged that the accused defrauded the complainant under the pretext of assisting her procure some landed property in Lagos. Ogungbesan alleged that Ogundipe collected money from the complainant in five installments of N900, 000, N2.5 million, N8.5 million, N2.7 million and 12,000 pound sterling between 2002 and 2005. She also alleged that the accused forged a Nigerian passport number A2799555 purportedly belonging to one Sanyaolu Babatunde Solomon. According to her, the offences contravenes sections 390 (9), 419 and 467 (1) (b) of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C17, Vol. 2 , Laws of Lagos State 2003 . The matter was adjourned to July 6 for further cross-examination.

..............................................

Driver docked for stealing co-worker’s N500,000 under pretext. A driver, Akinola Adeyefa, was on Friday dragged to court for allegedly stealing N500,000 belonging to a businessman, Oluwole Adigun. Adeyefa, 40, is facing a two-count charge of conspiracy and stealing before an Ebute Meta Magistrates’Court in Lagos. Though Adeyefa pleaded not guilty, the prosecutor, Insp. Samuel Omoyeni, told the court that the accused committed the offence sometime in 2008 at Victoria Island. Omoyeni said the accused, who worked in the same company with Adigun, promised to help him buy a Toyota Camry when next he travelled to Cotonou. He said the offences contravened Sections 390 (9) and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State. Magistrate M.O. Olubi, however, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties in like sum. The case was adjourned till May 25 for further hearing.

..........................................

20-year-old pleads guilty to stabbing trader, stealing N132, 000. A 20-year-old mechanic, Lukmon Raimi, on Friday pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy, assault and stealing before an Ebute Meta Magistrates’ court in Lagos. Magistrate Folashade Kayode , however, adjourned the case till April 20 for facts of the case and sentence. Raimi was arraigned for allegedly stabbing a trader, Ebomobowei Abise on his hand and stealing his money and handset. The prosecutor, Insp. Paul Inedu, told the court that the accused on April 12 at Ebute Meta, abducted Abise who was returning from his shop. The prosecutor said the offences contravened Section 355, 390 (9) and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State.