6 — Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2014
2 lawyers fight over case file
BUS CONDUCTOR'S DEATH: Police arrest erring LASTMA officials
By Onozure Dania & Hope Ofobike
L
AGOS—ACTIVITIES at Court 2, Igbosere Magistrate’s Court, were yesterday disrupted as two lawyers fought over a charge sheet. The lawyers, Wale Williams and the other, identified as Abbey, engaged themselves in a fight at Magistrate O. O Oshin’s court. The fight began when one of the lawyers slapped the other over who should handle a case. It took the intervention of the Court Registrar, Clerk and other prosecutors to stop the fight. When Vanguard approached Williams for comments, he gave his phone number and simply said: “Call me later if you want to get the details of what happened. I am going to the police station to report the incident.” He, however, failed to respond to several calls to his mobile at press time.
5-yr-old boy killed by suspected cultists in Benue By Peter Duru
M
AKURDI—A fiveyear- old boy, Samson Bernard, was yesterday morning reportedly shot dead by suspected cultists at the North Bank area of Makurdi town. Vanguard gathered from an eyewitness that the little boy met his untimely death in a cross fire between rival cult groups on Udei Street, near the North Bank. Attempts to speak to the parents of the slain boy were unsuccessful, but Vanguard gathered that the Police in North Bank had already visited the scene of the incident and have commenced investigations. However, Police s p o k e s m a n , Superintendent Daniel Ezeala, said he was yet to get full details of the incident.
Late Ikechukwu Abasirim. By Evelyn Usman
T
HERE were indications yesterday that officials of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority alleged to be responsible for the death of a bus conductor, Ikechukwu Abasirim, on Monday at Cele Bus Stop, along Oshodi-Apapa Expressway, have been arrested. Although the exact number of officials arrested could not be ascertained at press time, Vanguard gathered that the suspects included three policemen attached to LASTMA. The policemen, a Sergeant, a Corporal and a Constable, were alleged to have led the LASTMA officials in the illfated operation. Vanguard gathered that when news of Monday ’s incident reached LASTMA’s management, the erring officials were ordered to be arrested. They were said to be in the custody of police at Itire Division. However, when the spokesman of Lagos State Police Command, Kenneth Nwosu, was contacted on phone to ascertain the number of suspects and their identities, a man who identified himself as Nwosu’s orderly, told Vanguard that his boss was on a tour with the Commissioner of Police, Cornelius Aderanti, and that he would get back to this reporter in two hours. Meanwhile, the deceased’s family has called on the
relevant authorities to ensure that justice was done on the death of their son, Ikechukwu Abasirim. Commercial bus drivers plying the route yesterday decried what they described as inhuman treatment and intimidation meted out on them by officials of LASTMA and called on Governor Babatunde Fashola to checkmate their excesses. The drivers, who alleged that the officials extort money from them at every opportunity, wondered why such exploitation would be carried out on a federal road. One of the drivers, Mr. Elene
Ilechukwu, said: “Our experience in the hands of LASTMA officials along this route is pitiable. What they do is hijack a bus along this expressway over a minor offence. “They would, thereafter, use that bus to go after other buses. They are usually accompanied by three armed policemen. All they do is stop at designated points and give other commercial bus drivers the impression that they are loading. “If any driver dares stop by that bus-stop, the armed policemen and LASTMA officials will jump out of the
vehicle and arrest the conductor or driver. “At other times, while we will stop at designated bus-stops to pick passengers, they would come in two commercial buses and block the driver from the back and front. “At the end of the day they will extort no less than N5,000 from that driver. We are aware that they have been warned not to effect any arrest on federal roads. “Had they adhered to the instruction, Ikechuchwu would not have been killed. We are therefore calling on Governor Fashola to call these officials to order.”
Provost gets 5 years in jail over DTA By Caleb Ayansina
A
BUJA—THE State High Court in Gusau, Zamfara State, has sentenced Acting Provost of the Federal College of Education, Technical, Gusau, Dr. Bello Ahmed, to five years imprisonment for collecting double Duty Tour Allowance, DTA, for the same trip. Consequently, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, warned public officers against conferring unfair advantage upon themselves, by collecting DTA from both their organisation, and the agency involved in the course of their official duties. ICPC, in a statement by its Resident Consultant (Media and Events), Mr. Folu Olamiti, yesterday, in Abuja, said such abuse was punishable under Section 19 of ICPC Act 2000. According to the statement, the law stipulates that, “any public officer who uses his office or position to gratify or confer any corrupt or unfair advantage upon himself or associate of the public officer or any public officer shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for five years without option of
fine.” Dr. Ahmed was accused of collecting DTA, between 13 and 16 November 2006, from the college for an official trip to attend a board meeting of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB, while equally collecting an equal amount as DTA from JAMB, including sitting allowances, all totalling N385,000.00.
The accused, who was arraigned by ICPC on an eightcount charge bordering on corruption and abuse of office, pleaded guilty to the offence and asked for leniency. However, the presiding Judge, Justice Amaize, said he was not swayed by the plea of allocutus, as the accused lacked integrity and sentenced Ahmed to five years imprisonment without an option of fine.
Man allegedly kills friend By Austin Ogwuda
E
NUGU—A man, identified as Onyekachukwu Edeh, has allegedly killed his friend with a machete, following a heated argument. The cause of the misunderstanding between the two friends could not be immediately ascertained, but the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, confirmed that the incident took place on Monday. He said: “On that fateful day, October 27, at Eziobodo Amechi Idodo in Nkanu East Local Government Area of Enugu State, one Onyekachukwu Edeh allegedly inflicted a machete cut
on the forehead of the deceased over an alleged misunderstanding that arose between the suspect and Nnaji Onukwube which caused him harm. “He was later rushed to a nearby hospital where he was confirmed dead, just as the body of the deceased was deposited at the hospital mortuary of Annunciation Hospital, Emene, Enugu, awaiting autopsy. “Meanwhile, a full scale investigation has commenced into the incident as the suspect, Onyekachukwu Edeh, is now helping the police in their investigation, following his immediate arrest.”
Clearing agent accused of N4.5m fraud By Onozure Dania
L
AGOS—A 45-year-old clearing agent, Nosa Akomen, has been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate Court for allegedly obtaining N4.5 million by false pretence. The defendant is facing a fourcount charge of conspiracy, stealing, forgery and impersonation, preferred against him by the police.
The prosecutor, Steven Molo, told the court that the defendant and others at large committed the alleged offence between May and July 2012. He said the incident took place at 12 Ajayi Road, in Ogba area of Lagos State. Molo said the defendant impersonated as a registered clearing agent and obtained N4,499,000 belonging to one Oluwaseyi Oladore.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendant collected the said sum with pretext that he was in a position to clear his 5x40 feet containers at Tin-Can Island Port. He further said that Akomen forged a Diamond Bank Plc NCS pay direct payment acknowledgement receipt, number 06312112012002111, 01324092011645873, with intent that anybody will believe that it
was genuine. According to the prosecutor, the offence is contrary to Sections 409, 312 (a) (b), 285 (1) 363 (2b) of the criminal law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011. Earlier, the defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. Magistrate Olanike Olagende granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000, with two responsible sureties in like sum.