Metro

Judge Raises Alarm Over Charms In Court

Published

3 weeks ago

November 20, 2023

Editor

Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court has warned members of the public to stop leaving charms in his courtroom.

Oshodi gave the warning on Monday as the trial of five men charged with the murder of one Ifeanyi Etunmuse began.

“No one should leave charms in my courtroom. It should not be repeated. A talisman was found after the last adjourned date in the murder case,” he said.

The judge, who referred to the charm as ‘property’, warned the courtroom audience: “Do not leave your property here again. It does not work anymore.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Lagos state government brought charges against the five suspects; Atunrase Omolabi, Shittu Olawale, Olaide Opeifa, Olanrewaju Adebiyi aka Maja, and Jamiu Omosanya aka Orobo.

They were charged for attempted murder and murder of Etunmuse at Western Funeral Home, Ijede Ikorodu.

Earlier in the trial, the defence counsel continued with the cross-examination of the prosecution witness, Babatunde Olayinka.

Olanrewaju Ajanaku, the lead defence counsel to the first, second, and third defendants and later on the fifth defendant, asked Olayinka if he could say that the defendants had a hand in the attack on the deceased.

He also asked him if he was able to get a view of the compound of the local politician and funeral services businessman, Oluwatosin Onamade from his hiding place following the alleged attack.

The witness told the court that he hid himself in the cemetery, and lay down for a while to hide himself from a group of men that he saw wielding machetes at the Onamade compound on the day of the incident, April 16, 2021.

The witness further told the court that as he hid himself from the machete-wielding men, he turned around and saw a dead body beside him.

Ajanaku asked the witness: “Can you say emphatically that the first, second, third and fifth defendant had anything to do with the body you saw?”

The witness replied that he could not say emphatically that the defendants had anything to do with the body.

The defence counsel to the fourth defendant, Mahmud Adesina, continued with the cross-examination of the prosecution witness and questioned him on whether he had told the court earlier that Femi Onamade, a relative of Oluwatosin Onamade, was the one who knew the defendants in person.

Olayinka affirmed that it was Femi who knew the defendants and Oluwatosin who could identify them.

The prosecution counsel, Mr M. T. Adewoye, re-examined the witness and asked him to clarify what he meant when he told the court earlier that he could not identify the defendants.

Olayinka told the court that he indeed saw the machete-wielding men when they came into the compound.

Adewoye requested the court to issue a witness summons for Femi Onamade to appear in court.

The judge, then issued a witness summons for Femi Onamade.

The judge adjourned the matter until Feb. 19, 2024, for the continuation of trial.

On a previous court hearing on April 6, the prosecution had alleged that the suspects also cut off the wrist of Femi Onamade, the younger brother to Tosin Onamade.
(NAN)

Metro

Man Arrested For Killing Mother, Sister In Enugu

Published

9 hours ago

December 10, 2023

Editor

The Police in Enugu state have said that the command will soon arraign in court a man, Mr. Somadina Orji who allegedly killed and buried his mother, Charity, and sister, Ukamaka, in shallow graves at Umuagu Inyi, in Oji River Local Government area of Enugu State.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Daniel Ndukwe confirmed the development to Vanguard, on Sunday, saying, “Yes, the young man has been arrested and is investigation ongoing after which we will arraign him in court.”

Somadina had reportedly killed his mother, Mrs Charity Orji, and his Sister, Miss Ukamaka Orji, and buried them in a shallow grave at their backyard.

The Orji family who hail from Igboariam in Anambra State were said to have had their tragic ends on Monday, December 4, 2023.

The suspect, Somadina, was reported to be a drug dealer and had issues with his mother for a long time before he decided to kill her.

A Community leader in Inyi, Mr Ben Obi, stated that the problems started weeks ago when the suspect had an issue with the younger brother.

“He wanted to hit him and the mother stopped him and reported to the kingsmen to come and chase him away from the house because he wanted to kill the younger brother,” Obi said.

The younger sister was said to have been missing for two weeks before he had the problem with the mother.

However, Obi further explained that the mother went for a condolence visit at Akpugoeze, and upon her return in the afternoon, the son, Somadina, killed and buried her in a shallow grave in their backyard.

He said that when the younger brother came back and was looking for the mother, he suspected something and raised an alarm.

“When the villagers gathered at the compound upon interrogation, Somadina confessed that he had killed the mother. He also confessed that he killed the younger sister some weeks ago,” Obi said.

Obi disclosed that when the Police were invited, the remains of the mother and of the sister were exhumed and deposited at the mortuary and the suspect was arrested.

Obi also explained that Charity until her death was a hustling Woman who sold prepared Cassava food to feed her Family.

Lamenting the high use of hard drugs in the Community, Obi said that absence of governing bodies in the Community such as the traditional ruler, town Union, and President General to help the government in checkmating the use of hard drugs caused incidents.

He called on the government to come to their rescue to avoid such tragedy in the future.

Also condemning the act, the coordinating President General in Oji River local government area, Mr Ejike Tasie said the use of hard drugs in the Inyi Community was alarming and called on the anti-drug agency to help them checkmate the use of illicit drugs in their various communities in the local government area.
VANGUARD

Metro

Oyo: Chief Imam of Tede Is Dead

Published

13 hours ago

December 10, 2023

Editor

The Chief Imam of Tede, in the Oke Ogun geo-political zone in Oyo State, Alhaji Ahmad Tijani Adedigba, is dead.

DAILY POST reports that the Chief Imam, until his demise, was the Chairman of the Oke Ogun League of Imams and Alfas.

The state governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, in his reaction, described the late Adedigba as a great leader and lover of peace.

He added that the deceased contributed immensely to the religious harmony being enjoyed in the Oke Ogun area of the state.

Makinde, in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Sunday, added that the entire Muslim community will miss the deceased.

The governor said, “I received with sadness the news of the death of Alhaji Ahmad Tijani Adedigba, the chairman of the Oke Ogun League of Imams and Alfas and Chief Imam of Tede in Atisbo Local Government Area of the state.

“The late Chief Imam was a man of peace and a great leader, who provided direction to the Imams and Alfas body and contributed to the peaceful religious atmosphere in Oke Ogun.

“While submitting to the will of Allah and praying to God to grant his soul Aljanah Firdaus and also abide with everyone he left behind, I am certain that the body and the Muslim Ummah in Tede will miss his immense contributions.”

Metro

Groom, 25 Others Arrested As NDLEA Burst Drug-fueled Wedding Reception

Published

16 hours ago

December 10, 2023

Editor

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) successfully intercepted what was purportedly a wedding reception but turned out to be an illicit drug party.

The bust resulted in the arrest of the groom and 25 individuals, as confirmed by Femi Babafemi, the Director of Media and Advocacy, in a statement posted on his Facebook account on Sunday.

“Say a prayer against the demon of drugs in the lives of our youths this Sunday as #ndlea_nigeria busted another drug party organised as a wedding reception. Groom and 25 others arrested,” he wrote.

The statement also said the big cartels also suffered heavy losses some hours before the arrest with the seizure of their cocaine consignments.

“The big cartels also suffered heavy loss hours ago with the seizure of their cocaine consignments,” the statement read.

The arrested individuals, including the groom, are now in custody as investigations proceed.