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DSS: We Have Only Three Igboho’s Associates With Us Not 12
The Department of State Services (DSS) has told a court that only three associates of Yoruba nation advocate Sunday Igboho are in its custody. This is contrary to 12 people named in a suit before a Federal High Court in Abuja by some lawyers including Pelumi Olajengbesi and Allen Sowore, after the raid of Igboho’s Ibadan (Oyo State) residence on July 1.
The gave the names of those being detained as: The detainees Abdullateef Ofeyagbe, Amuda Babatunde (alias Lady K), Tajudeen Erinoyen Diekola Ademola, Abideen Shittu, Jamiu Noah, Ayobami Donald, Adelabe Usman, Oluwapelumi Kunle, Raji Kazeem, Taiwo Opeyemi and Bamidele Sunday.
The court, on July 23 granted an ex-parte application by the applicants and, among others, ordered the DSS to produce them on July 29 and to show cause why they should not be granted bail.
At the resumed hearing in the case yesterday, the DSS failed to produce the applicants.
DSS’ lawyer, I. Awo, apologised for his client’s inability to produce the applicants in court, arguing that they were being detained based on an order from another court pending the conclusion of investigation.
Awo said the order got for their detention would lapse on August 2 (Monday) and prayed the court to allow the DSS time to conclude its investigation after which it would decide on whether to release or charge them to court.
The lawyer noted that as against the applicants’ claim, the DSS has three – Amoda Babatunde (aka Lady K), Diokola Adeyemo Admola and Bamidele Sunday – in its custody.
Awo added that the DSS also had Abdullateef Ofeyagbe (the first applicant) in its custody until July 27when he was released.
Lawyer to the applicants, Olajengbesi faulted Awo’s claim and insisted that all his clients were being held by the DSS.
He also faulted the remand order tendered in court by the DSS’ lawyer saying it was not certified.
Olajengbesi however sought time to enable him respond to the affidavit filed by the DSS in relation to the court’s order for it to show cause.
Ruling, Justice Obiora Egwuatu restated the order for the applicants’ production on the next adjourned date.
CityNews Nigeria gathered that Justice Egwuatu also ordered the DSS to allow the applicants’ lawyers access to them between today and Monday.
He adjourned till Monday for the DSS to produce them in court and for further hearing in the case.
In its affidavit, the DSS said its July 1 raid on Igboho’s residence was a joint operation by its operatives and men of the Nigerian Army.
It stated that the raid was informed by suspicion that Igboho and his associates were involved in criminal activities.
The DSS added that its operatives recovered a number of arms and ammunition during the raid, noting that investigation in the case “has assumed a wider dimension and sophistication.”
It stated that “the activities of the applicants in custody constitute threat to national security of Nigeria.
“Any attempt to grant the applicants ball at this stage of investigation, may jeopardise on-going investigation in the matter.
“The respondents will not hesitate to formally charge the applicants to court or bring them before the court at the conclusion of investigation.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has declared former governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello wanted.
This followed the inability of the former governor to appear before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday for his arraignment over alleged N84bn money laundering.
In a post on its official Facebook page on Thursday, the anti-graft agency urged Nigerians with useful information about Bello’s whereabouts to report to the nearest police station.
The post reads, “EFCC Declares Former Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello Wanted. Former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, is wanted by the EFCC for offences relating to economic and financial crimes to the tune of N80.2 Billion.
“Anybody with information as to his whereabouts should report immediately to the Commission or the nearest Police Station.”
Ahead of the planned arraignment, operatives of the EFCC, Department of State Services, Police and other security agencies on Wednesday besieged Bello’s Abuja residence.
He was, however, sneaked out of the building by the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo.
A Federal High Court in Kano has halted the suspension of the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
The ruling came on Wednesday after Ganduje filed an ex parte motion seeking to enforce his fundamental right to fair hearing.
The respondents in the application are the Police, Department of State Services, DSS, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and nine others.
On April 16, APC executives in Dawakin Ward, Tofa LGA of Kano State, suspended Ganduje over alleged corruption.
However, the State Working Committee, SWC, of the APC in Kano nullified the suspension and punished the ward executives.
But a Kano High Court presided by Justice Usman Na’Abba upheld the suspension.
In the ex parte order delivered on Wednesday by the Federal High Court and made available to newsmen on Thursday, a Kano High Court presided by Justice A. M Liman ruled that the suspension should not be implemented until the case filed by Ganduje is heard and determined.
“All the respondents, their servants, agents or privies are hereby restrained from implementing and/or giving effect to the purported decision reached during the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, held at Ganduje Ward of Dawakin Tofa Local.
“All the parties are hereby mandated to maintain status quo before the purported emergency meeting of the alleged executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, and to stay action in respect of this matter pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application,” Justice Liman said.
The judge subsequently fixed April 30 to hear Ganduje’s suit.
A mobile court in Oshodi has sentenced a man simply identified as Paul to nine months imprisonment for not using a pedestrian bridge and assaulting personnel of the Lagos Environmental Sanitation Corps.
According to the State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, who revealed this information through a post on his X handle on Thursday.
Wahab wrote, “Paul was apprehended on April 16 for not utilizing the pedestrian bridge at Agbado Oke Odo, during which he assaulted and injured the enforcement personnel of LAGESCOfficial (KAI).
The mobile court in Oshodi delivered a nine-month jail sentence on him.”
The Ministry recently cautioned residents about avoiding pedestrian bridges, labeling the act of pedestrians crossing major highways in the state as illegal.
According to PUNCH’s report on Tuesday, the state government apprehended and charged 76 individuals for ignoring pedestrian bridges in the Ojota, Ladipo, and Oshodi regions.
In a March report, it was mentioned that a 22-year-old woman named Fasia Ajoke was sentenced to seven months and three weeks in prison for assaulting a female LAGESC officer while on duty.
Ajoke was also found guilty of resisting arrest and refusing to use the pedestrian bridge.
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