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Court Grants EFCC’s Application To Continue Metuh’s Trial in Absential

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Justice Okon Abang of the Federal High Court, sitting in Maitama, Abuja has ordered that the trial of Olisa Metuh, former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, would henceforth continue in his absence.

The judge gave the order on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 while ruling on an application by Silvanus Tahir, counsel to the EFCC, urging the court to continue with the trial in the absence of the embattled erstwhile spokesperson who collapsed in court on Monday while making his way to the dock.

Tahir, in his application argued that Metuh had acted in defiance to the judge’s order to remain where he was seated while the proceedings went on.

He also argued that the defendant had in the past employed all manners of delay tactics to frustrate his trial.

On the other hand, Metuh’s counsel, Emeka Etiaba, SAN, wanted a long adjournment to enable his client to recover to continue his trial adding that “prosecution is only for the living”.

In his ruling, Justice Abang held that, ” The application by the prosecution deserves to succeed”.

Relying on Section 266 (a) and Section 352(4) of the ACJA, 2015 Justice Abang said the court was disposed to proceed with the trial in Metuh’s absence, considering his previous attempts to scuttle and frustrate the trial.

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The judge noted that Metuh deliberately ignored his lawful directive instructing him to remain seated and not to go into the dock. He said the defendant chose to go into the dock and fell down in the process and was screaming to give the impression that he was in pain.

The court also granted an application by the prosecution to summon the General Manager of Channels Television, Abuja and a presenter with the station, Maupe Ogun- Yusuf to appear before the court in respect of what he called “prejudicial statements” made by a lawyer, Ben Chuks Nwosu on Tuesday edition of ‘Sunrise Daily” aired on the station.

The judge in granting the application ordered the duo to appear on May 25.

In the meantime, the matter has been adjourned to Thursday, May 24, for continuation of defence.

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Crime & Court

Rivers Police Parade Juju Priest, 25 Suspects in Car Snatching Ring Bust

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Some items seized from the shrine

The Rivers State Police Command has made a significant breakthrough in dismantling a car snatching ring with the arrest of a Juju Priest, Ugochukwu Onuigbo, and 25 other suspects.

The arrests were made public during a parade held on Wednesday at the Command Headquarters on Moscow Road in Port Harcourt, as Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, shed light on the operation.

Explaining the circumstances surrounding the arrests, Commissioner Disu stated, “For some time now we have noticed that a lot of cars were being stolen and some robbed in town and we tasked officers of our tactical team and our investigators to move into it. Today, I am very happy to inform you that about 26 suspects who specialise in stealing vehicles and robbing them have been arrested. Our greatest joy is the arrest of Chidozie Anthony Onyekwe and Kelechi Igwe.”

Speaking further on the roles of the apprehended individuals, Disu highlighted, “Chidozie is the leader of persons who come into Rivers State to steal cars. Not only does he come in here, he trains his men well. He is linked to all the suspects here who have been arrested before for this same offense of stealing cars. At the same time, Kelechi Igwe is an expert at removing trackers from vehicles. Almost all the vehicles stolen from Rivers State must pass through Kelechi for him to remove the trackers for them. He’s also a wonderful mechanic.”

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Also, it was disclosed that the stolen cars were transported to Mgbuka Obosi in Onitsha, Anambra State, where they were dismantled and sold as scrap. A total of 79 vehicles have been connected to the suspects, many of whom reportedly formed their alliances while serving time in correctional facilities.

Out of the total, 17 vehicles have been recovered, with some already returned to their rightful owners.

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Crime & Court

EFCC Nabs Five for Illegal Solid Mineral Transportation Without Licenses

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Operatives from the Ilorin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have apprehended five individuals for their involvement in the possession and conveyance of three truckloads of various solid minerals without the necessary licenses.

In a statement released on Tuesday, EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale, identified the suspects as Dauda Suleiman, Quadri Oladimeji, Abubakar Alhassan, Anas Sanusi, and Auwal Garba. Among them, Suleiman, Alhassan, and Sanusi were operating as truck drivers, while Oladimeji and Garba served as truck boys.

The arrests, carried out along Maraba road in Ilorin, Kwara state, and Ogbomosho, Oyo state, between March 21 and 22, 2024, were made possible through credible intelligence and surveillance efforts.

The suspects were caught transporting solid minerals, suspected to include marble stone, white powder, lithium, and lepidolite, to Shagamu and Alakija in Ogun and Lagos States for commercial purposes, despite lacking the required licenses. They claim to have been hired for the task.

The trucks seized from the suspects were identified as carrying the registration numbers JJJ 206 YG (Lagos), T24413 LA (Lagos), and KNT 635 XP (Niger), respectively.

This incident marks another crackdown by the EFCC on individuals engaged in illegal mining activities within the country.

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Previously, on February 5, the agency arrested 41 individuals suspected of illegal mining in Ilorin and impounded 12 truckloads of assorted minerals mined without licenses. With this recent arrest, the total number of individuals apprehended stands at 46, with 15 vehicles seized in the last month for similar offenses.

According to the statement, the suspects will face prosecution in court once investigations are concluded.

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Crime & Court

NDLEA Seizes Over 44,948.1kg of Illicit Drugs In Lagos, Edo, Ondo

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In a crackdown on drug trafficking, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) disclosed the seizure of a staggering 44,948.1 kilograms of illicit drugs across Lagos, Edo, and Ondo states.

Alongside the confiscations, eight suspects were apprehended during the operations, revealed Femi Babafemi, the agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, on Sunday.

The anti-narcotics agency disclosed that it also impounded 11 vehicles owned by drug cartels as part of the enforcement efforts.

Among those arrested were five individuals, including 67-year-old Sunday Otulugbu, Agbayeogor Joshua (39), Kelvin Ofuasia (45), Williams Peter (37), and Kamaru Onimisi (44).

According to Babafemi, a substantial amount of cannabis, totaling 7,687.8 kilograms, was destroyed in a warehouse located in the Ala forest of Akure, Ondo State, with an additional 670 kilograms evacuated on Saturday, March 23.

In separate operations, significant quantities of cannabis were eradicated in the Uzebba/Avbiosi forest, leading to the arrest of Kabiru Idris (36), Alaba Jimoh (40), and Lekan Asobere (35).

Similarly, in the Okpuje forest of Owan West LGA, NDLEA operatives, with military support, razed 5,000 kilograms of the illicit substance, further intensifying the crackdown.

The agency’s efforts extended to Edo State, where a substantial 14,310.8625 kilograms of psychoactive substances were destroyed on farms spanning 5.7 hectares in the Ohosu/Ugbogui forest of Ovia South West Local Government Area on Tuesday, March 19.

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Highlighting a well-coordinated operation in Lagos State on Wednesday, the NDLEA seized 10,534 kilograms (10.534 tonnes) of Ghanaian Loud, a strain of cannabis, in the Ajah area. Additionally, 11 vehicles linked to the drug cartel were confiscated during the operation.

The recovered vehicles include an Iveco truck marked KRD 522 YE, Toyota Sienna vehicles marked AAA 338 GL, AAA 308 EP, and LSD 744 GP, a Nissan bus marked EKY 846 YG, a Mercedes bus marked EPE 743 XT, among others.

 

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