Court charges two middle-aged men for kidnapping

By Damilola Adekoya

An Ikeja Magistrate court, have on Wednesday, charged two middle-aged men, Paul Okoye (41) and Emmanuel Ehiemere (48), for allegedly kidnapping a 52-year-old man, Fatai Shobowale, on May 2, 2012.

The accused, were, charged for kidnapping and threat to life.

Police Prosecutor, ASP Barth Nwaokeye, claimed that the accused had repeatedly committed the same offence of kidnapping and using various mobile lines, registered under false names, to threaten people on phone.

He also claimed that, following the kidnapping of Shobowale, at NACO, Lagos, the alleged criminals had made call threats to his wife, with a mobile number 08092898937.

Nwakoeye, who further stated that, Okoye and Ehimere’s offences of threatening to kill the victim if the money wasn’t paid for his ransom, was an offence, punishable under Sections 21, 230 and 409 of the criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2011.

Okoye, who claimed he was a custom agent, and resides at Block 79, Flat 6, Abesan area of Lagos, and Ehimere, a resident of Anifowoshe, Abesan Street, Lagos, however, pleaded not guilty, to the three-count charge, that was put before them.

The presiding magistrate, Mr Isaac Olufemi, who also granted the accused persons, a bail of N200, 000 with two sureties each, had the matter adjourned, till July 2, 2012.

Lebanese Charged With Armed Robbery, Manslaughter

By Damilola Adekoya

BY Damilola Adekoya

   A Lebanese, Bilal Fahs, was recently, charged before an Ikeja Magistrates court for allegedly robbing and killing one 35-year-old Ali Sani.

Sani, who was a bureau de change operator, was said to have been killed by Fahs and his partners, on April 30.

  The prosecutor, ASP Nicholas Atunmoye, told the court that the accused had tricked the deceased into a hotel room at 98 Marine Road, Apapa, Lagos on the grounds that he wanted to change money.

  Atunmonye said Fahs, with his accomplices had stabbed Sani with knife, broken pieces of glasses and a stick.

  The prosecutor also told the court that the defendant was apprehended when he was seen outside the hotel room with bloodstains on his clothing.

Atunmonye said that the offences contravene Sections 5 (b), 1 (2) (A) (B) of Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act, Cap. 398 Vol. XXII, Laws of the Federation 2003 as amended. And that the alleged offence of unlawful killing, contradicted Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2011   The magistrate, Mrs J.A. Anabor, adjourned the matter to July 2, for the Directorate of Public Prosecution’s advice.

N96M Bribe: Lawan grilled in secret

The House Committee on Ethics and Privileges on Thursday grilled the removed chairman of the House of Representatives’ committee probe panel on fuel subsidy regime, Farouk Lawan, for several hours on the $620,000 bribe the lawmaker confessed to have received from businessman, Femi Otedola.

The questioning of the diminutive legislator from Kano State however was held behind closed doors, contrary to an earlier promise by the House to make the ethics committee sittings public.

Lawan walked into the venue at 1.07pm in company with the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Victor Ogene, who is also a member of the Committee on Ethics and Privileges.

Wearing a white flowing gown and a white cap to match, Lawan expressed surprise at sighting journalists when he walked into the venue.

He exclaimed, “Everyone is here; this is a full house, chairman (referring to the Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Gambo Musa).”

Musa went into the preliminaries of the $620,000 bribery scandal, and recalled that the House mandated the committee to investigate the issue and produce a report on it.

He explained that after a series for meetings by the committee, it fixed Thursday (yesterday) as the commencement date of the investigation.

Musa added that Lawan and Otedola had been invited to appear before the panel for the course of the investigation.

Otedola had alleged that he gave the bribe to Lawan under pressure, but the lawmaker said the businessman offered him the bribe in a bid to secure an acquittal for his firm, Zenon Oil and Gas Limited, which had been indicted by the subsidy probe panel.

In his opening remarks, Musa gave an assurance that his committee would be fair to all the parties in the bribery saga.

“We shall strive to be fair and just to all the parties involved and make our report public”, he said.

After his remarks, he ordered journalists out of the venue, saying that the session would be held behind closed doors.

When he was asked on why the House reneged on its promise to conduct the investigation in the open, the Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed, replied that it was to allow the committee to “do a detailed and thorough work.”

He explained that the committee did not want a situation where the testimony of one witness would jeopardise another witness’ testimony.

Mohammed added, “You know that it is an investigative hearing as well and we want to avoid a situation where his (Lawan)presentation would bungle certain  people’s submissions.

“Of course the Police are doing their own investigations and they are doing that in camera.

“So, we believe that this also should be done in camera to at least give everybody some protection and the freedom to say all that they know.”

Meanwhile, there were indications on Thursday that the Police had yet to invite the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs/Narcotics and Financial Crimes, Mr. Adams Jagaba, for interrogation.

Jagaba was the man Lawan, during the earlier part of his confession to police, named as being in possession of the bribe money.

The finding by our correspondent contradicted speculations that Jagaba had been given an ultimatum by the police to submit himself for interrogation.

“There is no such ultimatum; ultimatum how? There is no invitation to Jagaba from the police; there has been no direct contact between them and there can be no ultimatum”, a source monitoring the investigation disclosed to our correspondent in Abuja.

Lawan had told the police that he wrote Jagaba and attached the bribe money as evidence.

 However, on June 19, Jagaba wrote the Speaker of the House, Mr. Aminu Tambuwal, denying ever seeing or receiving any bribe money from Lawan.

 This was sequel to a directive by Tambuwal, asking Jagaba to clear the air on the $620,000.

 Tambuwal’s action was a response to a letter from the Police Special Task Force investigating the bribery, urging him to retrieve the bribe money from Jagaba.

 Investigations by our correspondent showed that after Jagaba’s letter to Tambuwal, the speaker in turn wrote to the police, saying that the bribe money was not in the custody of the lawmaker or any committee of the House.

 “That was the closest contact between the police and Jagaba, which was indirect because the police letter was even addressed to the Speaker, not Jagaba,” the source said on condition of anonymity.

Jagaba on Thursday said that he was amazed at the speculation that the police had invited or given him an ultimatum.

 He said, “If there is a claim that the police ever invited me, I want the proof of the invitation; where is the proof?

“I am here in my office; there is no police invitation, I have not seen any invitation.

“There is no invitation in my constituency office or my residence either; so all this rumour about ultimatum amazes me, really.”

 The lawmaker added that the letter Lawan “purportedly” wrote to him, attaching the bribe money, was also not true.

He said, “I never received any letter from him (Lawan). Again, where is the proof of the acknowledgement of the letter? If you wrote a letter  to me and I received it, there would be a copy of the acknowledgement, where is it?

“These are the issues and not mere speculation.”

Culled from naijapundit

What has stardom done to DAVIDO?

Dami Duro crooner Davido may not have bargained for what he got in Abuja the last time he went for a show sponsored by Nokia.


Davido, arguably, is the most sought after artiste in the current Nigerian music market.


The super entertainer who is an ambassador of MTN Pulse is multi talented and this explains why he’s a pianist, producer, composer and arranger of songs. Away from the appraisals, the tattoo loving artiste, going by the latest gist at our disposal might need to watch the way he talks to people and stop letting his sudden stardom derail him off radar like those who have come and gone be for him.


The fast rising star who would be collaborating with Senegalese Konvict Music boss and singer, Akon, on the remix of his rave making single, Dami Duro, we reliably gathered was recently harassed and hit by a uniformed man at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.


According to the angry source, the musician was invited for the recently concluded Nokia Rap Battle show alongside other prominent acts by one Nosa, a fast rising music producer cum manager. The show ended and according to the source, Davido who was said to be drunk to stupor insisted on leaving in a friend’s car instead of going in the one the ones that brought him, and other top artistes and crew from the hotel.


He insisted though and Nosa being his host had to drive behind them, bubble later burst when the car conveying Davido was stopped by some military men for the routine check especially at that time of the night.


Our source revealed that the obviously tipsy Davido jumped out of the car and started boasting "don't you know me, what the fuck is wrong with you guys..." He started shouting about who he is and what guts the Mopol men had to stop his friend`s car.
This act, Amebo was told, infuriated one of the Mopol and while the musician was still ranting and boasting, he was landed a dirty slap and was threatened with gun to shut up if he does not want to be bathed in his blood
The musician we were further told was immediately rushed back into the car by Nosa and his friend who had at that point got down from their bus and pleaded with the uniformed men that he’s actually a popular musician especially in Lagos and was coming from a show.


The story however didn’t end there as the angry Davido did not hesitate to transfer aggression to Nosa immediately they got back to the hotel. The musician we learnt went as far as telling the man who got him the Nokia performance deal to shut up and not talk when he’s talking else he would slap him the way the Mopol treated him.


Nosa, the simple lifestyle dude who we learnt might have been in the entertainment industry before Davido was born, just walked away because he saw Davido as a proud boy.


Nonso, we gathered`is currently a stakeholder in Limelite Records which has signed artistes like Freestyle, Munachi Abii and many more. "He could not withstand a boy of Davido’s age talk to him in such manner for trying to help him realize his mistakes and as such, had to quietly walk away. Anyway pride goes before fall so my advice is the billionaire son should thread softly." One of the eye-witnesses revealed to us.
Culled from Amebo Entertainment

Outdooring of Arewa Onijogbon

BY DAMILOLA ADEKOYA

FRIENDS, family members and stakeholders in the Nigerian movie industry gathered at the 10 Degrees Event Centre, Oregun, to felicitate with Tayo Sobola on the premiere of her movie, Arewa Onijogbon.

    Directed by Muyideen S. Ayinde, the hilarious Yoruba movie dwells on parenthood, especially the conflicts between stepmothers and stepdaughters.

    According to the producer, Sobola, an Olabisi Onabanjo University Public Administration graduate, the movie is set to make a statement in the industry.

   Before now, she had featured in many music videos with artistes, including 2face Idibia, Artquake, Jahborne, Danny Young, 2Shotz, Da Natives, Sheyman, Freewindz and Lord of Ajasa.

  She has also starred in movies such as Jacki-Phillips’, Super Woman, Iwowo Abiamo, Ejiworo, Ewu Loko Longe and Ojukoju.

      Among celebrities that graced the event were Dj Zeez, Moji Olaiya, Denrele Edun, Sheyman, Jaiye Kuti and comedian Sanyeri.

Court stops Federal Government from renaming UNILAG

Justice Stephen Adah of the federal high court, Lagos today granted an interim order restraining the Federal Government from renaming the University of Lagos. The court ruled in the suits brought against the renaming of the institution by the students and alumni of the University of Lagos.



The case had been adjourned till July 4.


Culled from Linda Ikjeji's blog

NARTO charges corp members on insurance scheme

By Damilola Adekoya

Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) has urged corp. members, to participate in the Group Personal Accident (GPA) insurance scheme, which will insure them on some peculiar risks, stressing that they will also be entitled to some other medical benefits.

 Speaking at an event, organized to introduce the insurance scheme to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), The national president of NARTO, Alhaji Kazeem Bafaiya, who was represnted by his deputy, Chief Ayoola Sadiku, said that the scheme was one of the association’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and that it is in partnership with NEM Insurance PLC.

 He explained that the reason for the establishment of the insurance scheme is as a result of some social vices, which corp. members face during their service year.

 “The decision to introduce this scheme is borne out of corp. members, who have been exposed to various life threatening hazards, excruciating experiences and other social vices”. He said.

 Sadiku, who also said that the scheme, which also allows for corp members to subscribe with 5,000naira, will enable them enjoy free emergency evacuation to any hospital of their choice in Nigeria and treatment of medical injury, which costs up to 500,000 thousand naira.

He also emphasized that cost of medicines, operations fees, surgical appliances, and hospital charges, incurred with any injury by any type of accident, either water or air, will, will also be settled by the scheme.

He however called on the government, both on the federal, state and local levels, to key into the vision, and make the subscription of the insurance sheme, a policy for corp members who are their indigenes and those serving within their states.