9ja Discoveries

Friday, 6 October 2017

N4.7 Billion Fraud- Court Adjourns Suit Against Ladoja

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos, Southwest Nigeria has adjourned till October 9, 2017 for further hearing a case of N4.7 billion preferred against the former Governor of Oyo State, Chief Rashidi Ladoja.

Ladoja is being tried alongside a former Commissioner for Finance in Oyo State, Waheed Akanbi.

The Presiding judge, Justice Mohammed Idris, adjourned the case on Friday at the instance of Akanbi’s lawyer, Mr. Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, who requested that an official of Oyo State should be summoned by the court to tender some vital documents.

Olumide-Fusika had attempted to tender the document during the proceedings on Friday, but counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFFC Mr. Oluwafemi Olabisi, opposed the admissibility of the document, contending that Olumide-Fusika failed to lay proper foundation for it to be tendered.

But Olumide-Fusika, who maintained that the document, which was supplied to the court by the Oyo State Government, was important to the defence of his client, therefore urged the court to summon an official of Oyo State Government to appear in court for the purpose of properly tendering the document.

Ladoja’s lawyer, Mr. Bolaji Onilenla, did not oppose the application for adjournment.

Consequently, Justice Idris adjourned the case till Monday to allow for the invitation and appearance of an official of the Oyo State Government..

Ladoja and Akanbi are facing eight counts charge of money laundering and unlawful conversion of funds belonging to the Oyo State Government for their personal use.

In one of the counts, Ladoja and Akanbi were accused of converting a sum of N1,932,940,032.48, belonging to Oyo State Government to their personal own, using a Guaranty Trust Bank account of a company, Heritage Apartments Limited.

The EFCC claimed that they retained the money sometime in 2007, despite their knowledge that it was a proceed of a criminal conduct.

In another instance, Ladoja was accused of removing the sum of £600,000 from the state coffers in 2007 and sent it to Bimpe Ladoja, who was at the time in London.

The ex-governor was also accused of converting the sum of N42m, belonging to the state, to his own and subsequently used it to purchase an armoured Land Cruiser jeep.

He was also accused of converting a sum of N728,600,000 and another N77,850,000 at separate times in 2007 to his own.

The EFCC claimed that Ladoja transferred the N77, 850,000 to one Bistrum Investments, which he nominated to help him purchase a property named Quarter 361, Ibadan, Oyo State.

The EFCC told the court that Ladoja and Akanbi acted contrary to sections 17(a) and18 (1) of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, 2004 and were liable to be punished under sections 14(1), 16(a) (b) and 18(2) of the same Act.

But the ex-governor and the ex-commissioner pleaded not guilty to the allegations. They are currently on bail.

Man Steals Company’s Car Same Day He Was Employed

Security man attached to Halogen Security Services Limited, Lagos, Joseph Aba, 27, who allegedly stole a Hyundai Accent Car with Reg. number KJA 260 DS value at N5 million at Phase 3 Communication Nigeria Limited office,Victoria Island, has been arrested at Iyana Oworo area of the state.

Aba allegedly stole the car the same day he was employed. He was arrested at Iyana Oworo bus stop area after the car suddenly stopped on his way to Benue State.

The arrest of the suspect, according to a police source was made possible by the Divisional Police Officer, DPO in charge of Bar Beach Division, CSP Olusegun Ajamolaya following a complaints by the management of Halogen Security Services Limited through its Compliance Officer, Mr Ezechukwu Iroha.

According to the police, the incident occurred on 30 September, 2017 at 22, Ologun Agbaje Street,Victoria Island, Lagos when the suspect secured employment with Halogen Security Services Limited and was posted same day to Phase 3 Communication Nigeria Limited.

The police further alleged that after all workers of the company had closed for the day, the suspect entered the office’s reception to picked the key to the Hyundai car and stole one HP Laptop valued at N124,000 and drove the car en-route to Benue State to sell, but unknown to the suspect, the car was fitted with security gadgets.

A police source said that following a report of the car theft by the management of Halogen Security Services, CSP Ajamolaya swung into action with his men and tracked the stolen car to Iyana Oworo bus stop and arrested the suspect at the scene and took him and the car to the Station.

During interrogation, according to the Police, the suspect allegedly confessed to the crime that he stole the car to use it for commercial purpose in Benue State or sell it off and use the money to start his life.

Aba was arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court, Lagos on a one count charge of stealing.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Abbass Abayomi told the Court in charge. No C/64/2017 that the accused stole the car at the premises of Phase 3 Communication Nigeria Limited where he was posted the same day he was employed to provide security.

Abayomi said that the offence committed is punishable under sections 287 (9) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State

The accused however pleaded not guilty to the alleged crime and Chief Magistrate Mrs A.O Komolafe admitted him on bail in the sum of N2.5m with two surties in like. Sum.

Komolafe. Adjourned the case till 14 November,2017 for mention and ordered that the. Defendant be. Remanded at Ikoyi Prison,Lagos till when he is able to fulfill the bail condtions.

Monkeypox Virus: Cases Rises To13 In Bayelsa, Patients Responding To Treatment- Health Commisioner

The highest number of patients reported to be receiving treatment for the communicable monkey pox, which broke out in Yenagoa, has risen from 11 to 13, reports the News Agency of Nigeria ((NAN).

The 13 patients, including a medical doctor and a 17-year-old boy suspected to be infected with the monkeypox virus currently isolated at the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital (NDUTH), are responding to treatment and are at various stages of recovery.

Prof. Ebitimitula Etebu, Bayelsa Commisioner for Health, who addressed a news conference on Friday, along with his Information counterpart, Mr Daniel Iworiso-Markson, said that there was no cause for alarm as the state had taken steps to curtail further spread.

Etebu had on Thursday put the figure of affected patients at 11.

The commissioner said that more than 50 others, who had contact with the quarantined patients, had been traced and placed under surveillance.

He however, added that two of the infected patients earlier isolated, had been treated and discharged.

NAN recalls that the first index case was reported two weeks ago at Agbura, a rural settlement near Yenagoa.

Etebu said the victim had killed and eaten a monkey with members of his household and neighbours who later showed symtoms of the monkeypox virus.

He, however, said that results of the blood samples dispatched to the World Health Organisation reference laboratory in Dakar for confirmatory tests, were still being awaited.

He said that it was only the results that would confirm the identity of the virus.

READ: “Monkeypox ” virus: Bayelsa residents avoid body contact

“We, have taken the `usual steps’ in medical parlance in accordance with international best practices and the tests take some time because they have to culture the virus and allow it to grow sufficiently for it to be identified.

“That is the process we are taking and once the results are out, the public will be notified about it,”? he said.

On his part, Iworiso – Markson said the state government was, doing its best to arrest the situation as it responded promptly to the health emergency.

He said that the government had since inaugurated a Quick Response Team which was working round the clock to contain the outbreak.

He urged the residents to be calm and report any suspected case of rashes similar to chickenpox to the disease surveillance teams on toll free numbers 08066987752 , 08035474676.

Speaking earlier, Chief Medical Director, of NDUTH Prof Dimie Ogoina, said that the state was receiving support from the World Health Organisation and the Centre for Disease Control.

He disclosed that the hospital, in collaboration with the state ministry of health had created `mam-temporary’ isolation wards to quarantine suspected cases and assured the public that the facility has room to accommodate more patients