Gov. Sanwo-Olu Rejects Court Order To Pay N5m To Cab Driver Tortured During EndSARS Memorial

 

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has rejected a court order to compensate the Uber driver who was tortured during the EndSARS memorial. 

A Federal High Court in Lagos had on March 14, 2023, ordered the Lagos State Government to pay the sum of N5 Million as compensation to Adedotun Clement, an Uber driver who was assaulted on October 20, 2021, at the Lekki Toll-Gate during the first EndSARS memorial. 

Clement was carrying a passenger to Lagos Mainland when he encountered a gridlock at the Lekki Toll-Gate during a march to commemorate the first anniversary of EndSARS. He was tortured and pepper-sprayed by officers of the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Agency and policemen.

Human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, filed a lawsuit against the Lagos State Government and the Nigeria Police Force to seek redress. 

Following the judgment, Effiong wrote a letter Governor Sanwo-Olu on March 16, 2023 demanding compliance with the judgment. However, the governor refused to act on the demand. 

The Lagos State Government has now filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Lagos against the judgment. 

In a Notice of Appeal filed on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, but served on Friday, March 24, signed by Dr. Babajide Martins, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the Lagos State Ministry of Justice, the government said there was no evidence that the Uber driver was tortured. 

Responding to the appeal, Effiong said his client was disappointed by the action of the Lagos State Government but that he was ready to face the government at the Court of Appeal. 

“I’m not surprised by their decision not to obey a judgment that everyone knows is justifiable. Since they’ve chosen this infamous path, I will equally file a cross-appeal against the N5 Million damages and ask the Court of Appeal to increase it significantly.” Effiong said. 

The lawyer added, "The message derivable from this action is that Lagosians are back to the regime of real Governor Sanwo-Olu that they know and not the pretentious one who tried to project himself as a populist or respecter of human rights during the campaigns."

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Four Lagos Based Armed Robbery Suspects Arrested In Ogun

Operatives of Ogun state Police Command on March 13 arrested four members of a Lagos-based robbery gang, who have been terrorizing Ode-Remo area of Ogun state in recent times. 

The suspects identified as Habeeb Salaudeen 24, Ezekiel Jayesimi 30, Olamilekan Teniola 22 and Olaitan Sonibare 25, were arrested following a distress call received by policemen attached to Ode-Remo divisional headquarters at about 2:30 am that armed robbers numbering about seven have invaded a dwelling house at COTCO road, Ode-Remo, and dispossesing the residents of their belongings. 

‘’Upon the distress call, the DPO Ode-Remo division, CSP Fasogbon Olayemi quickly led his men to the scene, on getting there, they engaged the hoodlums in gun battle, but the robbers managed to escape in a white Rav 4 car which they came with.  Luck however ran against them when they were accosted by policemen at Warewa who stopped them having seen the bullet hole on their vehicle. The robbers subsequently abandoned the car and ran away. They were technically trailed to Mushin area of Lagos where four amongst them were apprehended. ‘’

Oyeyemi said the suspects have all confessed to the commission of the crime. 

He mentioned that items recovered from them include 4 I phones and thirteen android phones. 

Oyeyemi added that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Frank Mba, has directed that the suspects be transferred to State Criminal Investigation Departments for discreet investigation.

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Peseiro Plays Down Sack, Claim Insists Super Eagles Played Better Than Guinea Bissau

Super Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro has expressed confidence that he will not be sacked by the Nigeria Football Federation after another disappointing display and defeat at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja.

The Eagles lost 1-0 to the Wild Dogs of Guinea Bissau on Friday in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers group stage game.

Guinea Bissau’s Mama Balde scored the only goal of the match in the 29th minute.

The defeat means that the Eagles, with six points, have lost their spot at the top of Group A to Guinea Bissau, who now have seven points.

Speaking at the post-match press conference, Portuguese Peseiro said he would be surprised if he was sacked because his squad was still in a position to qualify for the tournament.

“I don’t understand why I will be sacked. We are still in the position for qualification for the AFCON. Today (Friday), the players could not score, but I believe in this team, we are much better than this result.

“Before, they played against big teams to improve the team, today, I think they deserve much more. Our team created opportunities and in the second half, they put Guinea Bissau on the back foot, they scored one goal, and we could have scored five or six goals. I am sad but it will be worse if my team didn’t play well, they played well. They created good opportunities and if we scored, we will beat them 4-0,” he said.

Peseiro added, “It is one match. First of all, congratulations to Guinea Bissau. Secondly, I want to say that we missed many goals, I think we created much more. We could have been here for another hour and not score, sometimes it happens in football.

“I am not happy, of course, I am sad like my team but they played the match, they created many opportunities, on another day, if we played like we played today, we would beat Guinea, very good luck for Guinea and very bad luck for us,” Peseiro said.

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Bbnaija Winner Whitemoney Blasts Actress Victoria Inyama Over Comment On His Mother

 

Former Big Brother Naija reality show winner and singer, Hazel Oyeze Onou, popularly called Whitemoney, has blasted actress Victoria Inyama over her comment on his post.

It was recall that Whitemoney had, in a video posted on social media, told men all they need is money to get women.

Commenting on his post, Victoria said he is projecting his disgust of his mother by generalising all women as his mother.

Responding to Inyama in a viral video on social media, Whitemoney stated that not everything is for clout, and people should learn to move on if they don’t agree with certain things.

Adding that the actress should have attacked only him without including his mother who raised him well, Whitemoney rained insults on Inyama, saying that she had crossed the line by involving his mother.

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Convicted Nigerian Female Fugitive, Florence Onyegbu, Extradited To US

 

A convicted Nigerian fugitive, Florence Onyegbu,  was extradited to the United States of America on Thursday, where she is wanted to answer to criminal charges bordering on violation of US law involving the offer and payment of illegal remuneration in a health care matter.

Her extradition was arranged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission in response to a request from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation, for assistance in her capture.

This was disclosed in a statement released by EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, on the agency’s website on Friday 

The statement reads, “ Investigations by the EFCC revealed that she had changed her name from Florence Onyegbu to Janet Boi in an attempt to remain hidden.

“ Onyegbu, however, ran out of luck when operatives of the EFCC swooped on her at her residence in the Ojodu area of Lagos on February 21, 2022.

“ Upon her arrest, a national identity card with the name Janet Boi, as well as a Texas driver’s licence with the name Florence Onyegbu, were found on her.

“ The EFCC handed over Onyegbu to the FBI following an extradition order granted by Justice Z.B. Abubakar of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on December 2, 2022.”

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Chrisland School, Staff, Vendor To Face Charges For Student’s Death In Lagos

The Lagos State Government says a case of involuntary manslaughter in addition to reckless and negligent acts has been established against Chrisland School, some members of staff and a vendor in the death of a student, Whitney Adeniran.

The Office of the Director, Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, in a statement on Friday, said the suspects would be charged with the offences contrary to Sections 224 and 251 of the Criminal Law, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Adeniran was said to have slumped during her school’s inter-house sport on February 9. After an autopsy, it was revealed that the 12-year-old died from Asphyxia and electrocution

Following the controversial circumstance surrounding the student’s death, the state government through the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo, ordered a coroner’s inquest into the matter to ascertain the cause of death

The Coroner, Magistrate Olabisi Fajana, later disclosed that the coroner’s inquest to unravel the cause of death of the 12-year-old would commence on April 4.

See the full statement below:

PRESS STATEMENT IN RESPECT OF LATE WHITNEY ADENIRAN, (CHRISLAND STUDENT).

On the 9th of February 2023, Whitney Omodesola Adeniran a Student of Chrisland High School, Ikeja aged 12 years, slumped during the Inter-house Sports organized by the School at the Agege Sports Stadium and was subsequently rushed to Agege Central Hospital, Agege, Lagos where she was confirmed “brought in dead” (BID) by the doctor on duty.

The case was referred to the Nigerian Police Force which carried out thorough investigation with the help of other agencies.

The file was subsequently forwarded to the DPP’s Office on Monday 20th March, 2023 for review of the duplicate case file. On the 23rd of March, 2023, the DPP issued his Legal Advice and came to the conclusion that a prima facie case of Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless and Negligent Acts had been established against the School, some members of Staff and one of the Vendors.

They will therefore be charged with the offences of Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless and Negligent Acts contrary to Sections 224 & 251of the Criminal Law, Ch C17, Vol.3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.

Information will be filed in accordance with the legal advice issued by the DPP. Certified True Copies of the Legal advice is available on the Ministry of Justice website (www.lagosstatemoj.org.).

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Train / BRT Bus Accident: LASG To Charge Driver To Court For Manslaughter

 

The Lagos State Government is to file a six-count charge of manslaughter and 10 counts of grievous body harm against the driver of the staff bus which collided with a train at the PWD railway crossing on March 9.

Both offences are contrary to Sections 224 and 245 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The office of the Director of Public Affairs in the state’s Ministry of Justice, in a statement on Friday, said the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr. Jide Martins, reviewed the case file and established a prima facie case of manslaughter, and grievous body harm against the driver of the staff bus.

It would be recalled that on the morning of March 9, a LASG staff bus collided with a train at the PWD railway crossing in the Ikeja Local Government Area (LGA).

The speed and impact caused the train to push the bus with its passengers along several metres of the rail until it came to a stop at Sogunle, a suburb of Ikeja, Lagos State.

“The horrific incident which involved a LASG staff heading to work in the staff bus and passengers of the train resulted in 6 fatalities with about 96 others with various degrees of injuries. The injured victims were hospitalized across many Government Hospitals in the State,” the statement read.

“The driver of the staff bus on the fateful day (Mr. Oluwaseun Osibanjo) was apprehended and handed over to the Police for investigation and possible prosecution by the State. At the end of investigation, the casefile was forwarded to the DPP for further statutory actions”.

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