Monthly Archives: February 2013

The Nigerian Army has trained 2, 904 soldiers on counter terrorism at the Nigerian Army Training Centre (NATRAC) in Kontagora, Niger. During the graduation ceremony on Friday, the Chief of Army Staff,  Lt.-Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, said the six-wee...

Hundreds of commuters were stranded in Uyo on Saturday following the collapse of an underground drainage crossing in Uyo-Oron Road leading to Ibom Airport in Akwa Ibom. The road, which caved in after a downpour on Friday, caused traffic diversion. Cons...

The police in Lagos State have arrested a 28-year old man and his girlfriend for allegedly demanding N2 million ransom after  kidnapping a teenager within their neighbourhood in Ikotun.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos State, Mr Umar Manko, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday that the suspects were arrested by the Special Anti -Robbery Squad (SARS).

He said SARS operatives rescued the 14-year old victim, Daniel Olumide, who was allegedly kidnapped on Feb. 2 at Ikotun.

NAN learnt that the man allegedly kept the victim for two days in his girlfriend's apartment.

The police said the arrests followed a tip-off by a resident within the neighbourhood, who told the police that he saw the victim walking with the suspect before he was declared missing.

Two estranged local government chairmen in Bayelsa State who engaged in battle of wits with governor, Hon. Seriake Dickson, were yesterday impeached and acting chairmen sworn-in by the state chief judge, Justice Kate Abiri. Those impeached by the legis...

Edo State chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Thomas Okosun, escaped death by the whiskers yesterday when factional angry ACN youths stormed the party’s secretariat and unleashed mayhem on the chairman and other party officials. ...

Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, yesterday described the merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with other opposition political parties in the country as inevitable. The governor while briefing newsmen at the end of the state ACN Eld...

The Police in Zamfara have intercepted 4,800 kilogrammes of Cannabis Sativa, popularly known as Indian hemp, at Hayin Alhaji Village in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state. Mr Lawal Abdullahi, the command’s Public Relations Officer...

The Court of Appeal Lagos, on Friday fixed April 29 to hear an appeal by Major Hamza Al-Mustapha, sentenced to death for masterminding the murder of late Alhaja Kudirat Abiola.

Al-Mustapha, who was the Chief Security Officer to the late Gen. Sanni Abacha and Lateef Shofolahan, a Personal Assistant to late Abiola, are challenging their conviction by a Lagos High Court on Jan. 30, 2012.

The appellate court, presided over by Justice Chima Nweze, fixed the hearing date after counsel representing both convicts had applied for a regularisation of their briefs of argument.

Counsel representing the appellants, Mr Joseph Daudu (SAN) and Mr Olalekan Ojo, had both applied for leave to file their  brief of arguments and serve same on the respondent.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the convicts were arraigned sometime in October 1999, on a four-count charge of conspiracy and murder of Abiola on June 4, 1996 on the Ikosi-Ketu Road.

The trial judge, Justice Mojisola Dada had found both appellants guilty of the offence and sentenced them to death by hanging.

However, Daudu and Ojo, counsel to both the first and second appellants respectively, appealed against the conviction 24-hours after the sentence.

In the notice of appeal filed by Ojo, the appellants were contending that the death sentence handed by the lower court was unwarranted, unreasonable and a manifest miscarriage of justice.

The appellants further contended that the trial judge erred in law by arriving at the conclusion that they conspired to kill Abiola on June 4, 1996.

The appellants are therefore praying the Court of Appeal to entertain the appeal, set aside the judgment and discharge them of the charges of conspiracy and murder.

NAN further reports that Al-Mustapha's appeal was premised on four grounds, while that of his co-convict (Shofolahan) was hinged on five grounds.

They faulted the trial judge’s admissibility of the ``contradictory statements'' of Barnabas Jabila (aka Sgt. Rogers) and Mohmamed Abdul, and the reliance on the testimony of Dr Ore Falomo on the bullet extracted from the corpse.

The appellants also faulted the rejection of portions of Jabila's testimony which they felt favoured them and applying only areas which did not favour them. (NAN)