Crime & Court
Court Upholds Conviction of Dethroned Baale for Faking Abduction
The Court of Appeal sitting in the Lagos Division has upheld the conviction of Mutiu Ogundare, the dethroned Baale of Shangisha in Magodo, for faking his abduction.
On September 27, 2022, Justice Hakeem Oshodi of the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja convicted and sentenced Ogundare to 15 years in prison.
Displeased with the verdict, Ogundare appealed the decision.
Justice Paul Bassi, delivering the lead judgment on behalf of a three-man panel, affirmed the lower court’s judgment on counts one and two but overturned count three. Justice Bassi noted that Ogundare’s appeal succeeded in part, reducing his sentence to 12 years.
The court decreed that “the appellant is to serve 10 years imprisonment for count one and two years for count two, respectively.”
The sentence for the third count, related to false representation in the alleged kidnapping, was overturned.
The panel included Justice Abdullahi Bayero and Justice Folashade Ojo, both of whom concurred with the lead judgment.
Ogundare was initially remanded on July 16, 2017, at Kirikiri Prison by an Ogba Magistrate’s Court for allegedly staging his own kidnapping. He was prosecuted alongside his wife, Abolanle, and his brother, Opeyemi Mohammed, on charges of conspiracy, breach of peace, and fake kidnapping.
On June 15, 2022, Justice Oshodi convicted Ogundare and Opeyemi Mohammed, reserving judgment until September 27, 2022. Ogundare’s wife, Abolanle, was acquitted of all charges.
During sentencing, Ogundare’s counsel, Olarewaju Ajanaku, pleaded for leniency, citing Ogundare’s remorse and a new perspective on his actions.
Similarly, Dr. Olayinka Owoeye, representing the second defense counsel, requested mercy, stating that Mohammed had learned his lesson.
Conversely, state prosecution counsel Jubril Kareem urged adherence to legal provisions.
Justice Oshodi commented, “I have considered the allocutus of the defence counsel. However, it is the view of this court that the convicts showed no remorse during the trial. In fact, the first convict (Ogundare) tried to buy his way out of the court. A lesson has to be taught to serve as a deterrent to others.”
Ogundare’s alleged kidnapping occurred on July 5, 2017. He was purportedly abducted by three men along CMD Road, Ikosi-Isheri Local Council Development Area. Ogundare had received a phone call from supposed developers interested in a property within his domain.
He drove to the designated location with his brother, where they were purportedly met by the kidnappers. The alleged abduction ended when Ogundare’s brother noticed a weapon and raised an alarm, leading the kidnappers to flee with Ogundare.
Ogundare later admitted to security services that he had staged the kidnapping to extort the state government.
In response to the scandal, former Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode ordered Ogundare’s removal as the Baale of Shangisha.
Justice Maryanne Anenih of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory has issued a public summons for former Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello to appear in court to respond to a fresh 16-count indictment.
The summons requires Bello to attend court on October 24 for his arraignment, alongside co-defendants Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu.
The public summons was ordered following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In her ruling, Justice Anenih directed the EFCC to publish the summons in a widely circulated newspaper to ensure proper notification.
Also, the court instructed the EFCC to post copies of the public summons at Bello’s last known address and in conspicuous locations within the court premises.
The EFCC has reported difficulties in serving the charges, which were filed on September 24, alleging that Bello and the two co-defendants committed a criminal breach of trust involving a staggering ₦110.4 billion.
A Police Inspector, Mohammed Bulama, attached to the Police Mobile Force (PMF) 41 in Yobe State, has been arrested for allegedly killing a 39-year-old civilian, Abdulmalik Dauda, during a confrontation in Damaturu, the state capital.
The incident, which occurred on September 29, 2024, was sparked by a heated argument between Bulama and Dauda over “uncleared transactions” in the Zango area of Damaturu. The argument escalated, leading Bulama to fatally stab Dauda in the chest.
In a statement, the Yobe State Police spokesperson, Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed Bulama’s arrest and announced that an investigation into the homicide case had been launched.
“The Commissioner of Police, CP Garba Ahmed, has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the incident involving Inspector Mohammed Bulama,” Abdulkarim said.
He further disclosed that the officer has been placed in custody, pending internal disciplinary action and prosecution.
CP Ahmed condemned the actions of the officer, extending his condolences to the family of the victim.
He also assured the public that justice would be served swiftly in accordance with the law.
The Lagos State Police Command has summoned three officers accused of extorting N1 million from members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in the Surulere area of Lagos.
Footage of the incident, which went viral on social media late Friday, shows the officers confronting the corps members, reportedly over the absence of a physical copy of a driver’s license. The video was shared by social media user Oluyemi Fasipe, who claimed that the officers threatened the corps members with firearms and forcibly took them to the Kafaru Oluwole Tinubu House, the Area C Command of the Lagos State Police, where they allegedly extorted the sum of N1 million.
“Dear @BenHundeyin, Your officers today in Surulere extorted 1 million naira from three corps members,” Fasipe wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “They were threatened with firearms, kidnapped, and taken to the KAFARU OLUWOLE TINUBU HOUSE AREA C POLICE COMMAND of the @LagosPoliceNG where they were robbed.”
Fasipe added that the entire incident stemmed from the corps members’ inability to present a physical copy of a driver’s license, a situation he described as “evil.”
In one of the videos, the officers are seen inspecting the vehicle’s documents, with the situation escalating as additional officers arrived. One officer can be seen entering the car and demanding that the corps members stop recording the incident, while also prohibiting them from contacting their families.
In response, the spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the officers involved have been summoned, and an investigation is underway.
“The men have been summoned, and their trial has commenced,” Hundeyin wrote on X. “We urge the complainants to visit the Complaint Response Unit at the State Headquarters to testify at the ongoing trial.”
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