Crime

Court Convicts Skit Maker Of Drug Trafficking

Published

1 year ago

January 24, 2022

Justice Daniel Osiagor of a Federal High Court in Lagos, on Monday, convicted a skit maker, Joshua Sunday, popularly known as De General, of drug trafficking.

The defendant, also a social media influencer, was dragged to court by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, alongside Caleb William, a cinematographer.

Delivering judgment, Justice Osiagor held that the volume of substance was minimal and would rather convict the defendants and caution them, rather than sentence them.

The court, consequently, convicted the defendants and cautioned them to “go and sin no more”.

Both defendants, 22, were charged with three counts of trafficking Tramadol and Cannabis Sativa.

They both pleaded guilty to the charge.

After their pleas, the prosecutor, Jeremiah Aernan, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered evidence before the court, through an NDLEA exhibit keeper, Lucky Oghaifu.

Among the evidence tendered include statements of the defendants, drug analysis form, certificate of test analysis, request for scientific aid form, packaging of substance form among others.

He urged the court to be guided by the provisions of Section 356(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act and convict the defendants based on their pleas as well as evidence adduced by the prosecution.

According to the charge, the defendants were said to have committed the offence on January 12, 2022.

Recall that had De General admitted to owning the drugs found in his apartment.

The prosecutor said that they were arrested around the Lekki area of Lagos for unlawfully dealing in 15 g of Cannabis and 14 g of tramadol.

He said that the offence contravenes the provision of Section 11(c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

In response, the Defence Counsel, Lilian Omotunde, urged the court to consider other options besides sentencing the defendants, on the grounds that the defendants were still at their prime and could still be useful to society.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that earlier, during interrogations by the court, the defendants told the court that they had never tasted drugs.

They told the court that the substances were used as props for their comedy skit, which they were in the process of shooting, before their arrest.

Crime

Man, 41, Sent To Prison For Groping Woman’s Breast

Published

2 months ago

April 14, 2023

Editor

A Badagry Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Friday, ordered the remand of a 41-year-old man, Ibrahim Lemo, for groping the breast of a woman.

The court heard that Lemo beat up his victim, Zainab Babalola, when she demanded he stopped the unlawful act

Chief Magistrate Fadahunsi Adefioye remanded Lemo after he pleaded guilty to a two count bordering on assault.

Adefioye ordered that the defendant should be remanded in Awhajigoh Correctional Centre, Badagry.

He adjourned the case until April 14 for facts and sentencing.

Earlier, the prosecutor, ASP. Clément Okuoimose, told the court that the defendant committed the offences on April 6 at 2.30 p.m. at Badagry Roundabout shopping complex, Badagry, Lagos.

Okuoimose said Lemo without lawful excuse pressed the breast of the complainant, Zainab Babalola.

He said the defendant also hit the complainant on her left eye and caused her harm after she asked him not to touch her again.

The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 134 and 170 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

(NAN)

Crime

Hushpuppi’s Associate, Woodberry, Pleads Guilty, Forfeits $8m, Assets

Published

2 months ago

April 13, 2023

Editor

Olalekan Jacob Ponle, known as Mr Woodberry, has pleaded guilty to wire fraud.

He also agreed to forfeit $8 million in proceeds of wire fraud as well as luxury cars and watches to the foreign government.

Woodberry, a known associate of the now-imprisoned internet fraudster, Ramon Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi, recently in a plea declaration submitted at the United States District Court of the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division on April 6, pleaded guilty to count one of the indictments, the Peoples Gazette reports.

According to his plea agreement, he is required to pay back the sum of $8 million he fraudulently received from the seven companies that he scammed.

“Defendant understands that by pleading guilty, he will subject to forfeiture to the United States all right, title, and interest that he has in any property constituting or derived from proceeds obtained, directly or indirectly, as a result of the offence,” stated the document containing Mr Ponle’s signed plea declaration.

Woodberry was also asked to waive his rights to the luxury cars, and designer watches he had stashed in Dubai.

The high-end automobiles include Rolls Royce Cullinan with vehicle no J9153, Lamborghini Urus (N4973) and Mercedes-Benz G-class (G68816).

Other items seized are four Rolex watches, one Patek Philippe watch, three Audemars Piguet watches, three gold and diamond-studded earrings, and six gold neck chains.

Last year, he forfeited 151.8 Bitcoin to the American government.

On June 10, 2020, Woodberry was arrested in Dubai alongside Ramon Hushpuppi Abbas, who is currently serving an 11-year sentence for a similar fraud charge.

Prior to his arrest, Woodberry was known for rocking and flaunting expensive designer wear and showing off his illicit wealth to his massive Instagram followers, the majority of whom had no idea his luxury lifestyle was funded by cybercrime.

Crime

17 Suspected Terrorists Bag 5 Years Over Conspiracy, Illegal Possession Of arms In Ondo

Published

2 months ago

April 2, 2023

Editor

A Magistrates Court sitting in Akure, Ondo state, weekend, sentenced 17 suspected terrorists to five years in prison, for alleged conspiracy and illegal possession of firearms.

The driver of the bus, Abubakar Aliu and his conductor, Aruna Tukur, were also sentenced to four year imprisonments after being found guilty of illegal possession of firearms.

Other convicts include; Abdularasaq Idris, Rufai Nura, Sagri Musa, Imarana Bello, Tasiu Suliaman, Musa Bala, Saliu Saidu, Musur Adamu, Abduhlai Ibrahim, Imarana Yusuf, Abdulahi Mustafa, Haruna Tukur, Nura Saidu, Abubarka Aliu, and Mubarak Tsalhs.

The trail Magistrate, Damilola Sekoni, convicted the defendants after they were found guilty of two out of the three counts charges levelled against them.

Sekoni said “I’m satisfied with that circumstantial evidence given, in the instances of the avalanche of evidence before me, all defendants were guilty of the first charge, the 11th and 13th defendant who are the driver and his conductor, were guilt of the second charge while all the defendants are aquitted of the count.”

The trail Magistrate added that both sentences are to run concurrently without an option of fine.

Sekoni said the action of the defendant is unacceptable in the society and the judgment would serve as deterrent to those who would want to indulge in such act.

The defendants were arraigned by the men of the State Security Outfit, Codenamed ‘Amotekun, on three counts of conspiracy, illegal possession of firearms and wondering in public places.

Prosecuting counsel, Olusegun Akeredolu, told the court that the defendant was arrested on November 4, 2021, along Akure/ Ondo expressway by the men of the Amoteken Corps after their buses attempted to overrun the security agents and speed off.

Akeredolu said the defendant conspired to commit a felony.

The passengers were said to have conspired with the driver not to wait for the officers of the law when they were stopped at a checkpoint but instead sped off.

The Prosecutor added that the defendants were in posssesion of firearms without a valid license

They were also said to be found wondering on a public place at about 2a:m and under such circumstances that led to the conclusion that they were at the place for an illegal and disorderly purpose.

According to the charge, the offences contravene Section 516 and 260 of the Criminal Code Law of Ondo State, 2006 and Section 6(b) cap R11 Robbery and Firearms (special provision) Act, laws of the federation 2004.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge

The defence counsels, O.J. Emmanuel and P.O. Attah during the trial told the court that the defendants were innocent travellers that boarded a bus from a park in Katsina heading to Lagos.

Emmanuel, in his address told the court that the driver of the bus knew nothing about the sack containing daggers found inside the bus as they were just a message given to him for someone in Lagos.

He added that the defendants refused to wait when they were asked to stop by the security agents and had to be pursued from Akure to Ondo town.

The defendants in their evidence individually denied the ownership of the sack of weapons found inside the bus, insisting that they were just passengers.

They equally said that they thought thise that stopped them were armed robbers hence they took off without stopping.

The driver claimed that no gun was found in the bus and that the sacks containing knives and daggers were message given to him at the park in Katsina expected to be delivered to someone in Lagos.

He claimed that he did not bother to he k the content of the message.

Recall that 18 persons in a bus conveying weapons in Ondo town were arrested by the personel of Amotekun.

The bus was loaded with 500 pieces of weapons such as guns, knives, carriages and swords.

The items were reportedly concealed inside a sack and were kept under the seat of one of the buses.

According to the state Commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, three buses escaped from different checkpoints in the state but one of them was arrested in Ondo town.

“They had a brief stop just before they entered the town and when our men tried to stop them, the three buses escaped.

” We had to radio all our control points and we were able to bring the three buses to a stop at a point on Ondo road by a combined team including the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“The buses attempted to overrun the security agents and speed off.

” The speed was so much that they hit the barricades on the road. We discovered that it was difficult pursuing them and didn’t want to cause any accident. So we radioed our station at Owena and the security men there blocked the road.”

Adeleye said that ” On getting there, they were able to escape by hitting the barricades again. “We continued pursue them while we called the Ile-Oluji junction, saying that they should block the road properly but the suspects also escaped. We now had a complete blockade before the Akure garage in Ondo town and there we were able to apprehend them.”