By Aisha Gambo

A 40-year-old man, Abubakar Sani, on Monday prayed a Shari’a court 1, sitting in Magajin Gari, Kaduna to order his former wife, Hadiza Isiyaku, to return to him.

Sani told the court he divorced Isiyaku after she aborted his twin babies.

”I was angry when she did that, so I divorced her.

”She left for her parents and later came back to move her belongings. She apologised for what she did and I forgave her.

”I want her back. I have been secretly meeting her. She wants to come back but her parents are instigating her to leave me,” he said.

He said that he later heard that she was getting married to someone else.

Responding, Isiyaku, said that she was no longer his wife because she has completed her waiting period (iddah).

The judge, Malam Salisu Abubakar-Tureta, ordered Sani to present his witnesses by March 24. (NAN)

By Edith Nwapi

An FCT High Court sitting in Nyanya, Abuja, on Monday, ordered that a policeman, Johnson Samanja, who allegedly shot and killed a 19-year old boy, be remanded in a correctional centre.

Samanja, 51 is charged with culpable homicide.

Delivering a ruling, Justice Peter Kekemeke, ordered that Samanja should be remanded in a Nigerian Correctional Service centre in Kuje, FCT.

Justice Kekemeke ordered the defence counsel, George Ukaegbu to file proper bail application.

He adjourned hearing in the matter until June 1.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel, Okokon Udo, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Oct. 3, 2020 at Dutse Apo village, FCT, Abuja

He alleged that while armed with a police gun, shot and killed a 19-year-old .

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Section 221 of the Panel Code.

Samanja pleaded not guilty. (NAN)

By Ismaila Chafe

President Muhammadu Buhari has condoled with the family and friends of a Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Nwali Sylvester Ngwuta, who passed away on Sunday in Abuja.

The President, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, on Sunday in Abuja, joined the people and government of Ebonyi, the Nigeria Bar Association and members of the Bench in mourning the legal luminary.

He expressed regrets that the death of the eminent justice would leave a gap in the Supreme Court, considering his experience and dedication to the interpretation of the nation’s constitution.

President Buhari expressed the belief that Ngwuta lived and served the country with his knowledge of the law.

The president prayed that the almighty God would accept the soul of the departed and comfort his family. (NAN)

By Blessing Ibegbu

The police on Wednesday arraigned a wheelbarrow pusher, Nasiru Sani, in a Karu Grade 1 Area Court, Abuja, for allegedly stealing a trader’s N48,000.

The defendant, who resides at Karu Market, Abuja, is standing trial for criminal trespass and theft, offences he denied committing.

Prosecution counsel, Mr Ayotunde Adeyanju, told the court that the complainant (alleged victim), Wasilat Yusuf of the same Karu Market, reported the case at the Karu Police Station on Jan. 2.

He alleged that Yusuf dropped her phone and shop keys  at her neighbour’s shop while assisting him to carry out business transactions.

Adeyanju said that the defendant stole the  keys, went to the shop, opened Yusuf’s  savings locker and  stole N48, 000.

He said the alleged offences contravened Sections 348 and 288 of the Penal Code.

The judge, Mr  Inuwa Maiwada, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100, 000 with one surety in like sum, and adjourned the case until March 15 for hearing. (NAN)

By Dorcas Elusogbon

A 22-year-old man, Damilola Daramola, on Tuesday appeared in an Ile-Ife Magistrates’ Court in Osun for failing to pay N12,700 to Bet9ja game operator.

The Prosecution Counsel, ASP Sunday Osanyintuyi, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on Feb 21, 2021 at Olonade Area, Ile-Ife.
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Osanyintuyi said that the defendant conducted himself in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace, when he played Bet9ja game worth N12, 700 from Akindele Mercy and refused to pay.

The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of Section 249 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Osun, 2002.

The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge of breach of public peace.

The defence counsel, Mr Unah Sunday, applied for bail for his client in most liberal terms.

Magistrate A.A. Adebayo admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N25, 000 with one surety in like sum.

Adebayo ordered that the surety must swear to affidavit of means, resides within the court jurisdiction as well as produce three recent passport photographs.

He adjourned the case until March 22 for hearing.( NAN)

By Taiye Agbaje
The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, fixed May 11 for definite hearing in a suit involving Prof. Anthony Adegbulugbe, a former Special Adviser on Energy in the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, and others.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu fixed the date after all pending motions relating to the substantive matters had been regularised by counsel to the parties.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adegbulugbe, the chairman, Green Energy International Limited, and two directors, Dr Bunu Alibe and Mr Ayodele Olojede, have been locked in legal battle on the ownership and running of affairs of the oil company.

The company is the plaintiff in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1390/2020, with Alibe and Olojede the 1st and 2nd defendants respectively.

At the resumed sitting, the two defendants, through their counsel, Alade Agbabiaka, SAN, sought for an order of the court to discharge the exparte order granted in favour of the plaintiff on Nov. 4, 2020 which compelled them to attend an Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the company slated for Nov. 12 which they did not attend.

The defendants, while arguing their motion seeking to discharge the order, averred that they did not attend the AGM because its notice ran foul of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) which requires 21 days notice before the meeting can be convened by the company.

They further told the court that the exparte order infringed on their fundamental rights to freedom of association, adding that the order was obtained by the plaintiff by concealing material facts before the court.

They urged the court to vacate the exparte order against them in the interest of justice.

But counsel to the plaintiff, Benbella Anachebe, SAN, opposed the application on the ground that the exparte order complained against had no life again.

He argued that the order was to last for 14 days and that the 14 days had since expired.

In her ruling, Justice Ojukwu held that the exparte order had become an academic exercise, adding that delving into it would amount to premature incursion into the substantive matter.

The judge then fixed May 11 for definite hearing of the substantive matter.
NAN reports that Adegbulugbe, in the suit, is praying the court for a declaration that the two directors; Alibe and Olojede with 22.6 per cent shares cannot impose their will on the majority shareholders who approved and sanctioned agreements reached with third party entities for the benefit of the company.

The complainant also wants the court to restrain the two directors from doing anything inimical to the interest of the firm but use internal mechanism in resolving any dispute.

However in their counter affidavits, the two directors claim that Adegbulugbe usurped the function of the Managing Director of the firm and had been taking unilateral decisions that were against the objectives of the company.

The two defendants averred that the former Obasanjo’s aide had engaged in alleged infractions by involving multinational companies in the operations of the company without their input.

Amongst others, they contended that Adegbulugbe brought third parties under the guise of increasing production of the Otakikpo Marginal Oil Field from 5,600 bpd to 30,000 bpd.

Contrary to the claim of the chairman that the two directors have only 22.6 % shares in the company, the defendants asserted that they are owners of 25 % shares.

The first defendant, in particular, stated that as plaintiff’s Director-Technical, he should have been in charge of all technical matters.

He disclosed that the second defendant and himself were directly instrumental to the award of an oil mining license by the Federal Government of Nigeria to the plaintiff to operate the Otakikpo Marginal Oil Field (OML 11).

“That the 2nd Defendant and myself undertook the task of applying for and securing said license because Adegbulugbe was unable to do so firstly because he did not have the relevant contacts needed to secure the marginal oil field licence and secondly because as a public official then serving in government as Energy Advisor to the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, he was precluded from doing so for reasons of conflict of interest.

“That after joining us on the plaintiff’s board as a co-director, Prof. Anthony Adegbulugbe unilaterally usurped the position of Chairman, Board of Directors without the Board electing him to that position contrary to the provisions of Section 289(4) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act 2020,” they averred.

The defendants stated that Adegbulugbe’s usurpation of the position of the Chairman of the Board and combining same with the position of the Chief Executive Officer of the Plaintiff is contrary to the provisions of Part A, Section 2(2.7) of the Nigerian Code of Corporate Governance 2018.

This, they said, provides that “the positions of the Chairman of the Board and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of the company should be separate such that no person can combine the two positions.”

They therefore prayed the court to protect them as executive directors and as bonafide minority shareholders of the company.

NAN reports that the management crisis is said to be threatening the daily production of targeted 30,000 barrel of crude oil.

By Edith Nwapi

The Garki General Hospital, Abuja, never denied a corps member, Nkechi Igwetu, treatment after being shot by a police officer on July 3, 2018.

The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr Adamu Onu, made this known on Monday while testifying before the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) panel.

The NHRC panel is investigating alleged violations of rights by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS)and other units of the police.

The CMD, was summoned by the panel on Nov.16, 2020.

“The allegations against the hospital are 100 per cent untrue.

“I am here on behalf of Garki Hospital.

” The complainant in her petition alleged that her late sister was denied treatment on that day.

“I am here to say that the allegation is false and clear misrepresentation of fact.

“Garki Hospital Abuja does not demand for the police report before attending to Trauma Patients at thr Accident and Emergency department.

“Garki Hospital does not demand payment before stabilizing Trauma Patients. It is a Tradition that we do not compromise. The case at hand is not different,” he said.

The CMD informed the panel that the hospital CCTV captured what transpired on the day the deceased was brought to the hospital.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Chinenye, a sister to the deceased in a petition before the panel, marked 2020/IIP-SARS/ABJ/10, alleged that her sister was denied care after being shot by the police.

She alleged that she was asked to deposit N50,000  before treatment can be administered on her late sister.

The respondents in the petition are Insp Benjamin Peters; the FCT Commissioner of Police; Inspector-General of Police; CMD, Garki Hospital and the Registrar, Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.

Earlier, counsel for the hospital, Nekabari Annah, objected to the panel hearing the petition on the grounds that the hospital was neither SARS nor a police unit.

According to him, the matter had previously been heard and concluded by a panel set up by the NHRC.

He added that the panel was headed by an Assistant Director with the Commission, Dahiru Bobo.

He also said that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, the body responsible for Regulating Doctors and Ensuring Good medical Practice, established that there was no prima facie against the hospital.

He, therefore, submitted that the Garki Hospital was not involved in any extra judicial killing, adding that the hospital was involved in the business of saving life.

After his submission, the chairman of the panel, rtd Justice Suleiman Galadima, ruled that Annah’s objection was well taken.

He however said, that in the interest of fair hearing,  the CMD should explain to the panel the circumstances leading to Linda Igwetu’s death.

Galadima,  then adjourned the petition until April 8 for adoption of written addresses. (NAN)

By Ramatu Garba

The Legal Aid Council of Nigeria, Kano State Chapter, said on Saturday that the council received 45 cases in January.

The State Coordinator of the council, Labaran Kabo, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.

Kabo said that out of the 45 cases, 40 were criminal matters, while five were civil cases.

According to him, during the period under review the council completed 15 criminal cases, while 25 are still pending in court.

He further explained that the five civil cases are still pending in the court.

“Some of the criminal cases were on armed robbery, criminal breach of trust, homicide, rape and theft, while the civil cases were on marriage and land disputes, as well as debt recovery”.

The coordinator said that the council is giving voice to the voiceless and advised those who could not afford to pay for such services to feel free and contact the council.

“Our mandate is to ensure equality and justice for all Nigerians by providing effective free legal aid and assistance in a way that reflects basic constitutional ideals and goals of government to access justice”. (NAN)