Justice Folashade Ogunbanjo-Giwa of the Federal High Court,
Abuja on Monday threatened to close the case of the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC)
against the Director General of the National Broadcasting
Commission NBC, Ishaq Modibbo and three others for lack of diligent
prosecution.
The threat followed an oral application by Dr. Alex Izinyon
(SAN), counsel to the 2nd and 3rd defendants (Dipo Onifade and
Lucky Omoluwa) and supported by counsel representing the 1st and
4th defendants.
The defence counsel had expressed dissatisfaction over the way
and manner the prosecution counsel was conducting the trial in
piece meal.
At the last adjourned date, May 27, the ICPC lawyer, Henry
Emoreh, had called only two witnesses and assured Justice Giwa that
he would bring all his remaining witnesses to court on June 3.
Based, on Emoreh’s assurance, the court directed him to bring
all his witnesses to court on Monday instead of bringing them one
per sitting.
However, at Monday’s proceedings, after calling the 6th witness,
the prosecution counsel told the court that he could not continue
the trial due to the absence of two other witnesses.
The ICPC lawyer told the court that one of his witnesses
travelled to Saudi Arabia for lesser Hajj, while the other was
bereaved.
Worried by the prosecution counsel’s call for an adjournment,
Izinyon, made an oral application asking the court to close the
case of the prosecution.
“We have tolerated the prosecution, if the prosecution is not
prepared to proceed with this trial, my Lord, please close their
case. They should put their house in order and stop wasting the
time of the court.
“Today, they just served on the defence, additional proof of
evidence in court.
“The court fixed today for this trial but after calling one
witness, the prosecution counsel is requesting an adjournment and
thereby wasting the court’s precious time,” Izinyon said.
Counsel to the 4th defendant (Pinnacle Communications Ltd) Amah
Etuwewe, associated himself with Izinyon’s application.
Similarly, counsel to the 1st defendant (Modibbo) asked the
court to close the case of the prosecution.
Addressing the prosecution counsel, the Judge said: “You heard
the applications and complaints of the defence counsel and I agree
with them.
“I think it is in your own interest to put your house in order.
I adjourned this case for today for you to bring all your witnesses
so that we can make progress.
“I could have fixed other cases today but the whole day is
wasted. I will not close your case but you must bring all your
witnesses in court on the next adjourned date or I will close your
case,” the court stated.
Justice Giwa specifically noted that the prosecution flouted the
order of the court directing him to bring all his witnesses in
court on Monday.
Earlier, the court admitted in evidence, bank documents from the
sixth prosecution witness, Remigius Ugwu, a Complaint Officer with
a first generation bank.
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Police Nab 35 Arms-Smuggling Syndicate
The unrelenting efforts of Operatives of the Intelligence
Response Unit (IRT), Special Tactical Squad (STS), Police Mobile
Force, Counter Terrorism Unit and the Special Forces attached to
Operation Puff Adder have resulted in the dismantling on 25th May,
2019 of a 4-man international arms-smuggling syndicate. The
criminal gang operates between parts of North African, the Sahel
region and West African Countries. A total of 6000 AK47 Live
ammunition were recovered from them.
The 4-man syndicate comprising: Ojoomo Olugbenga 45yrs native of
Akure Central, Ondo State, ii. Oladimeji Adeogun 50yrs native of
Ido LGA of Oyo State iii. Habib Musibau 24yrs old native of Oluyole
LGA of Oyo State and Thomas Olumuyiwa 54yrs old, native of Ado-odo
Ota LGA of Ogun State, all male, were arrested at Saki town,
Nigeria-Benin Republic border in Oyo State. Investigation reveals
that the syndicate specializes in smuggling small arms, light
weapons and ammunition from North Africa through the Sahel region
and supplying same to their criminal partners – kidnappers, armed
robbers, political thugs and other criminal elements – in Nigeria
and other West African countries.
In addition, another set of twenty (24) AK47 rifles, four (4)
pump action guns, eleven (11) Dane guns, Ten (10) English Pistols,
Two single barrel guns, One set of army camouflage uniform and
twenty two (22) live cartridges were recovered from other criminal
gangs in different parts of the country.
A total of thirty-eight (38) suspects were arrested for their
different roles in various criminal operations ranging from
kidnapping, armed robbery, banditry and cattle rustling.
The Inspector General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni, while
appreciating the general public for providing useful information to
the Police, has commended his men for this and many other feats as
he re-assures the nation that the Police will continually work
round the clock along with other security agencies towards ensuring
improved border security, control of arms proliferation and
combating kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent crimes across
the country.
DCP FRANK MBA
FORCE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICER
FORCE HEADQUARTERS
ABUJA