POLICE SPOKESMAN IN LAGOS

Man docked for stealing N265,000 with forged cheques.

A 27-year-old man, Alabi Olakunle, was on Thursday arraigned in Lagos for allegedly forging two blank cheque leaves and withdrawing N265, 000 of the account owner's money.
The accused is facing a four-count-charge of conspiracy, forgery and stealing before Mrs Salama Matepo of the Yaba Magistrates' Court.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Rita Momoh told the court that the accused and others at large on June 8, at No. 73 Simpson St., Ebute Metta, Yaba, conspired to forge two cheque leaves.
Momoh said the accused and his gang stole two leaflets of Finbank cheque with No. 03007930 and 03007931 property of one Ichakpa Sunday.
She said the accused also forged the signature of the account's holder to withdraw the N265, 000.
According to her, the offences contravened Sections 390(9), 467 and 516 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Lagos State.
Olakunle, however, pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.
The magistrate granted him bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
She adjourned the case till July 4, for further hearing.

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Court remands robbery suspects in prison custody.

An Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court on Thursday remanded three robbery suspects in prison custody over their alleged attempt to rob a man while armed with a toy gun.
The accused Francis Adeh, Kamoru Otunbi and Fola Freemen are standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and attempt to commit armed robbery.
Magistrate M.O. Olubi ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody pending the advice from the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Olubi, however, adjourned the case till Aug. 3 for further hearing.
The prosecutor, Insp. Samuel Omoyeni told the court that the accused were arrested by a police patrol team along the Langbasa-Ajah highway in Lagos.
Omoyeni said a toy gun wrapped with black masking tape and an iron bar were recovered from the suspects.
He said the accused were arrested on May 20.
Omoyeni said the offences contravened Sections 6 (b) and 2 (2) (a) and punishable under Sections 1 (2) (a) and 2 (3) of the Robbery and Fire Arms Act.

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Court remands robbery suspects in prison custody.

An Ebute Metta Magistrates’ Court in Lagos on Thursday ordered two robbery suspects remanded at Ikoyi Prisons pending advice from the State Director of Public Prosecution.
The suspects, Kazeem Mustapha, 22; and Ifeanyi Amajor, 24, were alleged to have robbed a man of his Toyota Corolla car valued at N2 million.
They are facing a two-count charge of conspiracy to armed robbery and armed robbery, before Magistrate Kemi Doga-Ojo.
Doga-Ojo, in remanding the duo in prison custody, said that the court had no jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The prosecutor, Cpl. Emmanuel Ajayi told the court that the accused persons attacked one Mr Ekundayo Olorunwa on Feb. 25 at 2 a.m. along Abule-Oja Road, Akoka, Lagos, with a gun.
Ajayi said the duo robbed the complainant of a blue Toyota saloon car with registration number BM 492 RBC and a blackberry phone valued at N53,000.
He said the offence was contrary to Section 5 (b) and punishable under Section 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and Fire Arms Act, Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The case has been adjourned to Aug. 3 for further hearing.

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I have turned a new leaf,’’ convict pleads with judge.

An electrician, Charles Ijendu, convicted of stealing a dividend warrant on Thursday told an Ikeja High Court in Lagos that he had turned a new leaf and would sin no more.
Ijendu, 46, who had taken a plea bargain with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), appealed for leniency, saying he had learnt his lesson.
He said I am the bread winner of my family. None of my children is going to school. At Ikoyi Prisons, I have learnt that I should be wary of bad friends.
Delivering judgment, Justice Adeniyi Onigbanjo, warned the convict not to involve himself in criminal activities in future.
Onigbanjo, who found Ijendu guilty on two of the four charges, ordered that he be sent to Kirikiri Maximum Prisons to serve his sentence.
His lawyer, Oladele Odebowale, had appealed to the court to be lenient because the convict had been in prison custody since April and only took the plea bargain on June 6.
The prosecutor, Fadeke Giwa, had told the court that Ijendu conspired with one Tunde, still at large, to defraud and steal dividend warrant number 649007, belonging to one Oyebanji Tolani.
He was also accused of forging a Nigerian passport, belonging to Asagbara Augustine Chibuzo.
According to the prosecutor, Ijendu had on March 11, 2011 falsely presented himself to one Mr Ada Echeohfu of Guarantee Trust Bank in Idi-Araba, Lagos, with the said passport to steal the dividend warrant.
The EFCC said the offences contravened Sections 468 and 484 of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State 2003.

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Court sentences tenants to 3 months imprisonment over poor sanitation.

A Grade “A” Customary Court in Lagos on Thursday sentenced four tenants to three months’ imprisonment each for obstructing the repair of their dilapidated residence.
The Court President,Abayomi Ipaye, however, gave each of them an option of N5,000 fine.
He ordered that the convicts would no longer have an option of fine if they failed to pay it within five hours.
He held that evidence before the court showed that the tenants refused to vacate the building to enable the owner to make the necessary repairs.
The tenants are Bose Aramide, Remi Akala, Tawa Adebisi and Akintoye Fatimoh.
The court had on Feb. 10 ordered all the occupants of No. 3, Daniel St., Mushin to repair the dilapidated bungalow or have it sealed off for being environmental nuisance.
It gave the occupants up until May 10 to carry out the repairs.
The Mushin Local Council had on Jan. 13 charged the tenants with environmental nuisance.
A health officer with the council, Mr Raji Razak, said the building had a defective roof, dilapidated toilet, kitchen, bathroom and floors.
Razak said the alleged offence was punishable under Section 46 of the Lagos State Environmental Health Law, 2003.

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Former lecturer arraigned over N8m fraud.

A former lecturer at the University of Lagos,Femi Olufokunbi, on Thursday appeared before an Igbosere Magistrates` Court in Lagos, charged with eight million naira fraud.
Olufokunbi (62) was arraigned on a two-count charge of stealing and obtaining money from Union Bank Plc under false pretence.
The court remanded him in police custody till June 21 when it will rule in his bail application.
The former lecturer, also a lawyer, is standing trial along with one Onyeka Dike.
The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The prosecutor, Insp. Zaccheus Arekhander, said the accused and some others at large obtained the money by false pretence on behalf of some lawyers on June 1.
He said the accused did not give the money to the lawyers and did not return it to the bank.
He said the accused had refused persuasions from the bank to sign necessary documents to officially acknowledge the receipt of the money paid through a cheque.
Arekhander objected to the bail applications moved by the counsel to accused, Gani Oyarevuegbe.
The prosecutor said the former lecturer could interference with ongoing police investigations in the case, if granted bail.
The defence counsel had prayed the court to grant the accused bail on self recognition.
He submitted that the former don had spent 32 years as a lawyer.
Magistrate A.A. Adefulire said In view of the strong objection to the bail application, the accused are hereby remanded in police custody pending ruling on the application.