Connect with us

Metro

JUST IN: Supreme. Court Affirms 5-year Jail Term For Lawan Over $3m Bribery Saga

Published

on

The Supreme Court, on Friday, upheld the judgement that convicted and sentenced the former Chairman of the then House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Fuel Subsidy probe, Mr. Farouk Lawan, to five years in prison for bribery.

The apex court, in a unanimous decision by a five-member panel, dismissed as lacking in merit, an appeal the former lawmaker, who has been in prison custody since 2021, filed to challenge his conviction.

Lawan had among other things, contended that he was not allowed to make a plea of allocutus (plea for leniency) by the trial court before it jailed him.

Advertisement

However, in its lead judgement that was prepared by Justice Inyang Okoro but read on Friday by Justice Tijjani Abubakar, the Supreme Court said it was “crystal clear that failure of the trial court to call for allocution, did not vitiate the sentence passed on the Appellant.”

READ ALSO: Three Men In Police Net For Allegedly Stealing 48 Goats – CP

It will be recalled that a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Apo had on June 22, 2021, sentenced the former lawmaker to seven years in prison.

Advertisement

Trial Justice Angela Otaluka, found the four-term lawmaker for Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency of Kano State, guilty of demanding an aggregate sum of $ 3million from Chairman of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, Chief Femi Otedola, to give his company a clean bill of health in the fuel subsidy probe the House of Reps initiated on 2012.

The trial court held that the Defendant acted in breach of section 17 (1) (a), section 8(1) (a) (b) (ii), and section 23 (i) of the Corrupt practices and other Related Offences Act, 2000, and committed an offence punishable under section 8 (1) 17 (1) and 23(3) of the same Act.

The court said it was satisfied that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, successfully established a criminal case against the Defendant, even as it convicted him on all the three-count charges that was preferred against him.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Alleged N4bn Theft: Soludo Visits Obiano In Abuja

Whereas the Defendant was handed 7 years jail term on counts 1 and 2 of the charge, the court sentenced him to 5 years on count 3.

Justice Otaluka held that the sentence would run concurrently.

Advertisement

Dissatisfied with the verdict, Lawan, lodged six grounds of appeal to challenge his conviction.

He maintained that the ICPC failed to by way of credible evidence, establish a prima facie criminal case against him.

Therefore, he prayed the appellate court to discharge and acquit him of the bribery allegation.

Advertisement

In its judgement on February 24, 2022, the Abuja Division of the Court of Appeal affirmed the high court’s verdict.

READ ALSO: Mr Ibu’s Son, Daughter ‘Arrested’ Over N55m Donations To Ailing Actor

However, the appellate court, in a unanimous decision by a three-man panel of Justices, reduced Lawan’s jail term from 7 to 5 years, after it discharged and acquitted him of two of the charges that led to his conviction.

Advertisement

The panel, which was led by the Court of Appeal President, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, held that the totality of evidence the Prosecution adduced in the matter, was not sufficient to prove that the former lawmaker demanded and agreed to accept $3m from Otedola.

The appellate court however upheld the case of the Prosecution that Lawan indeed received $500, 000 from the oil mogul.

While it dismissed the first two counts in the charge, the appellate court sustained the last count in the charge which attracts a maximum of five years imprisonment upon conviction.

Advertisement

Metro

My Wife Started Bringing Home Her Lovers After She Sent Me, My First Wife Packing —Husband

Published

on

He must give our child N30,000 monthly for food if he’s insisting on divorce —Wife

A man, Abass, has approached Grade A Customary Court, Court 2, sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, to seek that it dissolve the union between him and his wife, Bolaji, on the grounds of disobedience, adultery and threat to his life by the latter.

Abass stated that Bolaji was troublesome and made their home non-conducive for him and his first wife.

Abass also said that he almost lost his job after Bolaji extended her unruly behaviour to his office, where she came to fight him and turned the whole premises upside down.

Advertisement

According to him, the timely intervention of the police saved the situation.

The plaintiff added further that Bolaji sent his first wife packing, while he also moved out of their house a few months after this when it became obvious she was bent on snuffing life out of him.

Abass explained that Bolaji threw caution in the air immediately he moved out of the house and started bringing her lovers into the house.

Advertisement

These men, he stated, did spend the night with her.

The plaintiff said he went home early one morning and saw the defendant seeing one of them off.

Abass told the court he has had enough of his wife’s atrocities and thus prayed for the dissolution of their union.

Advertisement

According to the plaintiff, the defendant took to threatening him since he dragged her to court.

READ ALSO:My Wife Threatens Me With Knife, Goes About With Charms, Man Tells Court

Bolaji refused that their union be dissolved, giving the welfare of the only child produced by their union as excuse.

Advertisement

Abass in his testimony said, “Bolaji and I met in 2019 and I paid her bride price.

“I already had a wife when I met her, and the three of us were living together after she moved in with me.

“Bolaji started misbehaving early in our marriage.

Advertisement

“She was always at loggerheads with my first wife; she showed no regard for her and sought every opportunity to fight her.

“Any time I tried to caution her, she would flare up and accuse me of taking sides with her rival.

“Peace deserted us in the home because Bolaji made it hell to live in.

Advertisement

“Bolaji fought me and my first wife on regular basis.

“I almost lost my job when she came to my office to fight me.

“It took the intervention of the policemen before sanity could be restored.

Advertisement

“The embarrassment and shame he exposed me to have not left me till date.

READ ALSO:My Husband Has Stopped Loving, Trusting Me — Wife

“Bolaji made my first wife life so miserable that she packed her belongings and moved out of the house.

Advertisement

“I saw hell in the few months I was left alone with Bolaji; she almost snuffed life out of me.

“I had no choice than to move out our house.

“Bolaji threw caution in the air immediately I left our home.

Advertisement

“She started dating other men and even had the audacity to bring them into our home.

“These men normally spent the night with her.

“I decided to visit home one faithful day very early in the morning and I saw her seeing one of her lovers off.

Advertisement

“My lord, I can no longer tolerate Bolaji’s loose and indecent lifestyle.

“She now threatens and swears to make my life miserable and unbearable.

“I pray this honourable court to rule that we are no longer husband and wife.

Advertisement

“I in addition request an order restricting her from threatening me.”

Bolaji responded, “My lord, he lied that he paid my bride price.

READ ALSO:Why I Charged My Husband Money For Sex —Woman

Advertisement

We did not hold any marital rites, neither was I handed over to him by my parents.

“I do not agree to divorce because of our child’s welfare.

“I have a child from my first marriage and do not want our child’s fate to be like that of my first child.

Advertisement

“But if the court eventually dissolves our marriage, I plead that it mandates my husband to give me N30, 000 every month for our child’s feeding.”

The court president, Mrs O.E. Owoseni, gave her judgement after she had heard both parties state that the plaintiff did not cross-examine the defendant in respect of non-payment of bride price and subsequent handing over to him as wife.

Owoseni stated that he has by implication admitted that he did not pay bride price nor was handed over to him as wife.

Advertisement

She added that the ingredients validating marriage under customary law was absent, which meant that they were never married, but merely cohabiting.

Consequently, there was no marriage to be dissolved.

Owoseni further stated that since the plaintiff was no longer interested in cohabiting with the defendant, both parties were, therefore, ordered to go their different ways.

Advertisement

She also explained that based on the unchallenged evidence that the defendant was fond of fighting and causing trouble, the defendant was restrained from harassing, threatening, disturbing and or interfering with the plaintiff’s private life.

The defendant was granted custody of their child, while the plaintiff was given reasonable access to him.

The plaintiff was ordered to pay N30,000 monthly to the defendant for their child’s upkeep.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Metro

‘My Husband Saved My Name As ‘My Sister’ On His Phone, Lied To His Lovers He Was Single’

Published

on

A cheating man of Lusaka, Zambia, has found himself in court after his wife discovered that her number was saved as ‘My Sister’ on his phone.

The act was a way of concealing his wife’s identity from his three side chicks that he had lied to that he was single.

According to the Zambia Daily Mail, this is in a matter where Pricilla Tembo sued her husband, Tyros Banda, for reconciliation.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:My Ex-husband Has Refused To Give Me, Our Unborn Child, Money For Upkeep, Woman Tells Court

Pricilla narrated that the two had been married since 2012 and together, they had produced one offspring.

She said that Banda, a civil engineer by profession, changed into a beast after he was transferred to Kasama, where he allegedly found ‘biological roads’ to grade.

Advertisement

She explained that since his transfer, the husband would only visit home once a year and in those one-off visits, he would only have sex with her once.

According to Pricillia, Banda gets angry anytime she initiates s3x.

READ ALSO:My Wife Dented My Image, Took Our Marital Crises To Radio Stations — Husband

Advertisement

The aggrieved wife told the court that her husband had impregnated other women while leaving her with only a child.

She alleged that as it stands, Banda had fathered three children from three women.

In his defense, Banda said the difficulties in their marriage were linked to his wife’s miscarriages and her reliance on ‘bwela tupange’ kind of ministries and traditional healers.

Advertisement

In his judgement, the magistrate, Lewis Mumba, advised the wife to proceed with a divorce petition against her husband as infidelity and deprivation are grounds for divorce.

Continue Reading

Metro

My Wife Threatens Me With Knife, Goes About With Charms, Man Tells Court

Published

on

Grade A Customary Court, Court 2, sitting at Mapo, Ibadan, Oyo State, has ruled in a divorce suit brought before it by a man, Akindele, against his wife, Salamotu, whom he accused of lack of care, constant fight and domestic violence.

Akindele stated that Salamotu was a difficult person to live with.

The plaintiff said that the defendant shed his responsibilities towards him as wife, and made their home unwelcoming for their family members and friends.

Advertisement

Akindele explained that Salamotu was not only hostile and mean but also violent.

According to Akindele, he goes to bed with one eye open because he knows that his life is not safe with his wife.

The plaintiff gave an instance of when the defendant drew a knife at him during a fight.

Advertisement

He stated that he would have been a dead man by now but for providence.

READ ALSO:My Husband Is Randy, Has Children Outside Wedlock —Wife

Akindele further said that Salamotu at another time broke down the door of their apartment.

Advertisement

He added that Salamotu was diabolic in nature and that he sometimes found charms and strange objects in their rooms and corners of their apartment.

The plaintiff stated that peace has deserted him since he got married to his wife.

Akindele, therefore, entreated the court to stop their relationship.

Advertisement

Salamotu was absent in court the first time the case was mentioned.

The court president, Mrs. O.E. Owoseni, adjourned the case and ordered that a fresh hearing notice be issued and served on the defendant.

Akindele in his evidence said, “My lord, the only mistake I ever made in life was that of getting married to my wife.

Advertisement

“I was head over heels in love with my wife when we met and failed to study her character.

“Her father instructed that we hold no marital rites and also refused that I pay her bride price.

READ ALSO:DSS Grills Malami Over Attack On His Convoy In Kebbi

Advertisement

“He handed my wife over to me and we both left for my place joyously.

“My lord, that was the last time my wife and I both laughed together

“I have lost my peace since my wife and I started living together because she is ill-mannered.

Advertisement

“She has no respect for me as the head of the home and also treats me with scorn.

“My wife never gives ear to my counsel; neither does she take to correction.

“She nags almost all the time and is in the habit of fighting me.

Advertisement

“I find no comfort in our home because it is void of peace.

READ ALSO:Woman Begs Court Not To Grant Husband’s Prayer For Divorce

“Our family members now keep their distance from us because my wife’s hostility makes them feel unwelcome when they pay us visits, while my friends now desert me.

Advertisement

“My wife goes wild when she is angry and becomes violent.

“She hits me with anything within her reach.

“I would have been a dead man by now when she drew a knife at me but for posterity’s sake.

Advertisement

“I sleep with one eye open since then because I believe she can do anything to harm me.

“She at another time became fierce during a misunderstanding and broke down the door to our apartment.

“My wife’s attitude got worse after she became diabolic.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:My Husband Has No Source Of Livelihood, Woman Tells Court

“She now keeps charms and strange objects in our rooms and corners of our apartments which are horrifying.

“My lord, my wife has made a mess of my life enough.

Advertisement

“I am no longer interested in our marriage. I want divorce.”

The court president, Mrs O.E Owoseni, in her judgment stated that there was no subsisting marriage between the duos but that they were mere co habiting because no marital rite held and the bride price was not paid.

She added that since the plaintiff stated that he is no longer interested in their marriage, and that the defendant made no effort to save her marriage, the court had no choice than to grant the plaintiff his prayers

Advertisement

Owoseni ruled that the two go their different ways.

She also gave an order restraining the defendant from threatening and interfering with the plaintiff’s private life.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending