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Judge Dismisses Plea Bargain, Jails Man 21 Years For Killing Wife

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The Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square has sentenced a man, Daniel Gajo, to 21 years’ imprisonment for stabbing his 24-year-old wife, Esther, to death.

Gajo had initially pleaded not guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter during his arraignment and was remanded on June 13, 2013.

The prosecution said the act was contrary to Section 227 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday before Justice Yetunde Adesanya, the prosecution, led by Olayemi Shofolu, informed the court that the defendant had decided to plead guilty to the charge.

READ ALSO: 88-year-old Woman Narrates How Man Defrauded Her Of N36m

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He submitted the plea bargain and sentencing agreement signed by the defence counsel and prayed the court to grant the 17 years’ jail term as recommended in the agreement.

The defence counsel, S.N. Nwodo, confirmed the arrangement with the prosecution.

Gajo also confirmed the agreement under oath and told the court that he was not compelled to change his plea for a reduced sentence.

The amended charge was read and he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter contrary to Section 227 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

However, Justice Adesanya said she was not impressed with the plea bargain due to the severity of the crime.

She said, “The defendant took his wife’s life in her mother’s home. I am not bound by the sentencing agreement and can decide to increase the years. No one has the right to take another person’s life.”

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Passing her judgment, the judge said the recommended sentence was not commensurate to the crime committed by the defendant.

She noted that the crime was “unprovoked and premeditated.”

Adesanya said, “I have taken into account the statements of the parties. I also recognise that the court is not bound to accept the sentencing agreement. In view of this, I hereby convict you, Daniel Gajo, as charged. Having regard to all considerations, this court rejects the 17 years sentencing agreement. I hereby sentence you, Daniel Gajo, to 21 years in prison starting from the day of your remand, June 13, 2013.”

Judgements premised on plea bargain agreements have resulted in controversies in the country’s legal system.

In September 2021, Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo of the Ikeja Special Offences Court also sentenced a 23-year-old chef, Joshua Usulor, to 28 years’ imprisonment for killing a 34-year-old lawyer, Mrs Feyisayo Obot, in a hotel room in Lagos on January 26, 2019.

READ ALSO: Inmates Shot Security Personnel Foil Attempted Jailbreak In Rivers

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Usulor had entered a plea bargain agreement with the prosecution and a 21-year sentence was recommended.

However, the judge rejected the agreement, saying it was too lenient and sentenced the convict to 28 years in prison.

Despite the increase in the jail term, many observers said the sentence was light and called for tougher punishments for capital offences to serve as deterrent to others.

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Crime

Police Declare Man Wanted Over Homos*xual Act

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A 50-years old man, Edo Omusi, has been declared wanted by the police in Benin City, the capital of Edo State, for disappearing after being ‘caught’ in a same s*x act in Ogiso community.

A source close to the police in the state, told our correspondent that the suspect, and one of his male friends, whose name was not given, were sighted at an undisclosed location by some youths as they were comitting the act.

Under Nigerian Laws, any person caught in the gay act is liable to 14 years in prison and if found by the community could be killed.

The duo were said to have been deeply engrossed in the act when they were found but before the person who saw them in the , “sinful and abominable act”, went for back up, they had escaped the location.

The incident which occurred on 25/4/23 at Ogiso area of the town almost threw the community into a turmoil as irate youths welding sticks and cudgels rampaged the community in search of the duo to lynch them.

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It was also learnt that worried by the trend the youths in the community had to set up a surveillance team to monitor his movements. It was on one of the surveillance trips that he was reportedly caught on the fateful day, with the unidentified male partner.

It was gathered since the community reported the incident to the police, the whereabouts of the suspect, Edo Omusi has since remained unknown by all and sundry.

Speaking on the development, a top Police official confirmed the matter and explained that the Crime Investigation Department of the command is working round the clock to arrest the suspect, having declared him a wanted person.

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Crime

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

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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.

READ ALSO: Prophet Bags 21 Years Imprisonment For Defiling 10-year-old Step Daughter

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

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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.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Court Remands Ex-Imo Deputy Gov In Prison

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.

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(NAN)

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

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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.

READ ALSO: Calls For Abba Kyari’s Arrest Heighten As Reactions Trail Hushpuppi’s ‘Bribery’ Allegation

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“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.

READ ALSO:Hushpuppi Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison

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

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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.

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