Metro
$1.43m Fraud: S’Court Revokes Lagos Socialite’s Bail, Orders Return To Prison
The Supreme Court of Nigeria, on Friday, reversed the bail granted to Lagos socialite Fred Ajudua, who is facing trial over his alleged involvement in a $1.43m fraud.
The apex court, in a unanimous decision of a five-member panel, ordered that Ajudua be taken back to prison custody.
Further adding that the hearing should be resumed in the criminal charges brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
Recall that the Embassy of the State of Palestine, in a letter dated August 26, 1993, and addressed to the then Minister of Foreign Affairs and copied to the Inspector General of Police, alleged that Ajudua obtained approximately $1.43m by false pretence from Ziad Abu Zalaf, a Palestinian based in Germany.
EFCC investigated the allegations stated in the letter against Ajudua. Upon completion of its investigation, the EFCC filed a 12-count charge against him before the High Court of Lagos State in Ikeja.
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The EFCC alleged that Ajudua conspired with one Joseph Ochunor, who remains at large, to obtain money by false pretence from Ziad Abu Zalaf of Technical International Ltd, a division of Mystic Company Ltd, a German-based company.
It further alleged that, with intent to defraud, Ajudua and Ochunor obtained $268,000 on April 2, 1993 and an additional $225,000 on May 12, 1993, from Zalaf.
The EFCC also claimed that Ajudua and Ochunor, in an effort to legitimise the alleged scam, forged receipts from the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation and presented them as genuine to the foreigner.
Shortly after his arraignment, Ajudua’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo, filed an application for his release on bail pending the trial’s conclusion, citing his client’s serious health challenges.
However, the application was denied by the Lagos High Court presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada, who ordered the defendant to submit to prosecution.
Dissatisfied with the decision, Ajudua appealed the trial court’s decision before the appellate court and got a favourable ruling.
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A three-member panel of the Court of Appeal reversed Justice Dada’s decision and granted him bail.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Mohammed Garba, the appellate court ruled that bail was the appellant’s constitutional right.
Dissatisfied with the judgment, the EFCC appealed the ruling before the Supreme Court to overturn the appellate court’s decision.
In its judgment on the appeal marked SC/CR/51/2019, the apex Court set aside the bail granted to the Ajudua on December 10, 2018 by the appellate court.
In the lead judgment delivered by Justice Chioma Nwosu-Iheme, the Supreme Court faulted the appellate court’s decision, stressing that it had no jurisdiction to grant bail after declaring the brief of argument supporting Ajudua’s appeal as incompetent.
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The Supreme Court ruled that once Ajudua’s brief of argument was deemed incompetent and struck out, there was no basis for the appellate court to proceed further.
“It is crystal clear that the lower court was in line with the law when it declared the appellant’s brief of argument incompetent and struck it out.
“At that point, the appellant’s (Ajudua’s) appeal was extinguished. There was, therefore, nothing more to consider in that appeal. The lower court, at that point, had no jurisdiction to proceed further. It had become functus officio,” the apex court stated.
The court further held that the appellate court’s consideration of the arguments in the incompetent brief of argument was an exercise in futility.
“This appeal, having been determined on the issue of jurisdiction alone, renders the issue of bail inseparable from the appeal itself.
“This appeal succeeds and is hereby allowed. The decision of the trial court dated July 5, 2018, refusing bail to the respondent (Ajudua), is hereby restored.
“The respondent is to be remanded in prison custody. This case is remitted back to the Chief Judge of Lagos State for assignment to the same trial judge, Justice M. A. Dada, for the continuation of speedy trial and determination within the shortest possible time,” the Supreme Court held.
Metro
Armed Bandits Attack Mopol Camp, Cart Away Rifles In Kebbi
Kebbi State Government has confirmed that a group of armed bandits attacked a Mobile Police post in Makuku, located in the Zuru Local Government Area, and made away with an undisclosed number of rifles.
The Director of Security at the Cabinet Office, Abdulrahman Zagga, disclosed this to journalists in Bagudo Local Government Area on Saturday.
According to Zagga, the mobile police post, which was manned by visiting officers, came under heavy attack from a large group of bandits numbering in the hundreds. Despite engaging the attackers in a fierce gun battle, the officers were ultimately overpowered.
“The bandits burnt a Toyota Hilux patrol vehicle belonging to the unit and escaped with an undisclosed number of rifles,” he stated.
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Zagga clarified that it was not a police station that was attacked, as some reports claimed, but a temporary mobile police post. He added that the mobile police officers were forced to withdraw due to the overwhelming number of assailants.
He further revealed that upon learning of the attack, the state government requested air support from the Nigerian Air Force, which helped force the bandits to retreat.
“No casualties were recorded during the incident,” Zagga said. “Most of the bandits infiltrated from neighbouring Zamfara and Niger States.”
He explained that Makuku village shares a border with Niger State, making it vulnerable to such attacks.
READ ALSO:Kebbi Govt Mulls Death Penalty For Bandit Informants
Zagga also emphasised that, unlike some neighbouring states, Kebbi State has no peace agreements with any bandit groups or their leaders.
He pointed out that informants remain a major obstacle in the fight against banditry and noted that attacks tend to intensify during the rainy season due to extortion tactics used against farming communities.
“Once they demand money from a community and it is paid, the bandits may temporarily leave that community alone. But once the money runs out, they move on to another community to extort. That’s why many communities remain in constant fear,” he added.
However, Kebbi State Command Police image maker, CSP, Nafiu Abubakar, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.
Metro
I Will Not Move Out Of My Husband’s House, Divorced Woman Tells Court
A mother of six, Latinate Sanusi, has told a Shari’a court in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, Kaduna State, that she cannot leave her former husband’s house after three pronouncement of divorce.
Latinate stated this in response to Abdulrazak Yunusa’s prayer to confirm the three pronouncement of divorce he made to her and compel her to leave his house.
“My children are all girls and I intend to stay so that I can take care of them; after all he does not provide most of their needs,” she said.
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According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the complainant told the court that he takes care of his family adding that he divorced her because she was not submissive.
The judge, Malam Kabir Muhammad after listening to both parties confirmed the three pronouncement of divorce between the couple.
He explained that there was no marriage between the couple until the woman remarries.
“What is before me is a suit on confirmation of divorce; the issue of children custody can be filed as a fresh case,” he said.
Metro
Court Dissolves Marriage On Couple’s Agreement
An Area Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has dissolved the Islamic marriage between one Mujidat Abdullahi and Muyideen Raji based on mutual agreement.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the presiding judge, Toyin Aluko, in his ruling said that the husband sent a letter to the court, saying that he has agreed to the divorce application of his wife.
Aluko said that since the two parties have agreed to divorce, there was no need to prolong the case.
He added that marriage should not be forced on anyone.
Aluko, therefore, dissolved their marriage and awarded custody of the only child of their marriage to the wife, due to the child’s young age.
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The court ordered that the woman should observe the iddah (waiting) period before she could remarry again.
It also ordered that a copy of the ruling be made available to the husband.
Raji was ordered to pay the sum of N10,000 monthly for the child’s feeding and upkeep.
He was also granted the opportunity to have unlimited access to the child, but at a reasonable time.
Earlier, the wife had told the court that she was tired of the marriage due to lack of love and care, adding that she wanted divorce.
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