PEOPLES DAILY, FRIDAY, JUNE 28, 2013
PAGE 18
Metro
INSIDE FCT COURTS
Four arraigned for theft
Court sentences driver 5 months T for attempt to kill pastor
A
n Abuja Upper Area Court yesterday sentenced a driver, Yakubu Mohammed, to five months imprisonment for attempting to kill Paul Eneche, the Senior Pastor of Dunamis International Gospel Centre, Abuja. Justice Umar Kagarko sentenced Mohammed, 33, after he pleaded guilty to the offence. The judge, however, gave the convict an option to pay N35,000 fine. “I decided to impose this light punishment because the accused did not waste the time of the court and
police through prosecution,’’ Kagarko said. The police had earlier arraigned him on a two-count charge of attempted homicide and belonging to a secret cult, under sections 230 and 97(A) of the Penal Code. Mohammed admitted that he was a member of a secret cult with headquarters at the top of Zuma Rock, Niger. He told the court that he was assigned by the head of the secret cult to kill the pastor. “When I was about to carry out
the mission, I tried all I could to finish him but my power seized completely; but I had no option than to go to the church and confess. “I was initiated into this group as a child. My father was a retired army officer. I joined the secret cult in my two hundred level in the university. “I beg the court to temper justice with mercy as I have realised my mistake,’’ he said. Mohammed, who said he had ``wasted a lot of innocent lives through this devilish act’’, promised not to return to the group.
The prosecutor, Insp. Albert Okara, had earlier told the court that the convict confessed to one Pastor Adetope James in the Security Department of the church. Okara said the convict had been monitoring the movement of Eneche since April and surveying the church premises for an opportunity to carry out his mission. The convict told Pastor Adetope that he was unable to carry out his mission as he was arrested by the continued prayers of the pastors and members of the church. (NAN)
he police yesterday arraigned four men, Fatai Jelili, Opeyemi Oyeyemi, Muyideeen Yusuf and Muyideen Mufutau, all of no fixed address in an Abuja Magistrate’s Court for alleged joint act and theft. The Prosecutor, Mr Paul Anigbo, told the court that the matter was reported by Awolaja Lekan, of Dutun Company Ltd., Gwandal Centre, Wuse 2, Abuja, to the Wuse police station on June 21. Anigbo said the accused persons went to the complainants construction site, located at Pyakasa, Airport Road, Abuja and stole diesel, planks, laterite, 21 bags of cement and 100 pieces of blocks, all valued at N1.2 million. He said the first accused confessed to have committed the crime during investigation but the three others, who denied committing the offence, however, could not give satisfactory account of themselves. He added that the offence contravened the provisions of sections 79 and 287 of the Penal Code, respectively. The accused persons however pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Presiding Magistrate, Mimi Katsina-Alu, granted the accused persons bail in the sum of N200, 000 each and two sureties each in like sum. Katsina-Alu said the sureties must have fixed and reliable addresses and must reside within the jurisdiction of the court. She adjourned the matter to July 17 for hearing. (NAN)
Woman jailed 18 months for cheating Overloaded truck with empty basket, along Zuba Abuja road.
Photo: Mahmud Isa
Student docked for assaulting trader
P
olice yesterday arraigned a 25-year-old student, Enebong Alexander, of AMAC Estate, Airport Road, Abuja before a Kuje Area Court for allegedly hurting a trader, Marxwell Okoro. The accused person is facing a three-count charge of criminal force, assault and causing hurt; offences punishable under sections 263, 264
and 240 of the Penal Code. The police prosecutor, Cpl. Ocheche Samuel, told the court that Okoro, of the also of AMAC estate, reported the matter on June 22. He said the accused attacked and threw Okoro down from a stair case. The prosecutor said that as a result of the attack, Okoro’s ribs
were broken. “He sustained serious injuries and was rushed to Glory International Hospital, AMAC estate, for treatment.’’ The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against him, and the prosecutor prayed the court for adjournment to enable the police to conclude investigation into the
matter. The presiding judge, Mr Nuhu Ibrahim, granted the accused bail in the sum of N100, 000 and a surety in like sum. Ibrahim said the surety must be responsible and should reside within the jurisdiction of the court, and adjourned the case to July 4 for further hearing. (NAN)
Civil servant sues church for trespass on own land
M
r. Usman Bello, an employer of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), yesterday sued the Incorporated Trustees of Deeper Life Christian Ministry for alleged trespass. Bello’s counsel, Mr Teslim Agboola, who filed the suit, claimed that the church encroached on his client’s 8000sq metre property at AMAC Estate, Plot R13, Sabon Lugbe, Airport Road, Abuja. The plaintiff said that he was the
rightful owner of the land and that he bought it from an organisation, called Sahal Islamic, on Jan. 12, 2010, for N20 million. “On May 20, 2011, when the plaintiff visited the said property in company of his surveyor, he discovered that the defendant had built a church on it and fenced it. ``Thereafter, all efforts to resolve the dispute over the land’s ownership with the defendant failed and we, therefore, pray the court to declare
the plaintiff the rightful owner of the property. “We, therefore, urge the court to give an order, compelling the defendant to pay N5 million to the plaintiff, as damages he suffered and also for it to vacate the land,’’ Agboola said. The defendant’s counsel, Mr Daniel Osiagor, however, filed a counter-claim deposed to by Mr Christian Umoh, the resident pastor of the church, denying the plaintiff’s claims.
``The plaintiff, being a staff of AMAC, engaged in abuse of office by using his position to tamper with the defendant’s file in his office. Osiagor, therefore, asked the court to declare the plaintiff a trespasser and grant an order of perpetual injunction against him and his agents from further laying claim to the piece of land. Justice Angela Otaluka, after hearing both counsel, adjourned the case to July 11, for continuation of hearing. (NAN)
O
ne Jessica Okoronkwo, of Andy Young, Mararaba, was yesterday sentenced to 18 months imprisonment by a Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Mararaba, for cheating. The police prosecutor, Mr Steven Kwaza, had told the court that the matter was reported at the Sani Abacha Road Police Station by one Njoku Perpetual on June 25. Kwaza said Okoronkwo visited a boutique belonging to the complainant and collected four toys valued N9,000 and seven handbags valued N58,000. Others were three shoes, valued N21,000 and a pair of slippers valued N4,000. The prosecutor said the accused also made away with several other items, including two children’s shoes. “Since then, she was nowhere to be found. We searched for her to no avail until June 25 when we sighted her and alerted the police.’’ Kwaza said the offence contravened section 322 of the Penal Code. The accused pleaded guilty to the charge against her. The Chief Magistrate, Habila Abundaga, sentenced her to one and half year imprisonment or pay N7,000 fine and a compensation of N135,000. (NAN)