… As Court adjourns ruling, over Alleged N16.3m charcoal fraud***
Police in Kaduna State have arrested two suspects and recovered an AK47 rifle with 34 rounds of live 7.62x39mm ammunition.
Police spokesman, ASP Mohammed Jalige stated in Kaduna on Wednesday that the arrest was made on Sunday.
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It followed the receipt of credible information on the movement of arms at Iyatawa Village Road in Giwa Local Government Area.
He explained that a patrol and “stop-for-search’’ operation was mounted along the road and it yielded results.
“Operatives succeeded in intercepting a 25-year-old suspect with an AK47 rifle loaded with two rounds of live 7.62 X 39mm ammunitions,’’ he stated.
He added that in a related development, operatives, also acting on credible tip-off, raided Mallawa Tudun Wada Area of Zaria and arrested one suspect.
The suspect had an AK47 magazine loaded with 30 rounds of live 7.62 X 39mm ammunitions planned for delivery to bandits, he stated.
“The cases are currently undergoing investigation and efforts are on-going to ensure that members of the syndicate are apprehended to face the law,’’ he also stated.
Jalige stressed that the feats would not have been possible without the cooperation and prompt information from members of the communities.
“The Commissioner of Police, Mr Yekini Ayoku, is soliciting for more collaboration from the general public in information sharing so as to reduce criminality to the barest minimum,’’ Jalige stated.
In another development, an Ikeja Special Offences Court on Wednesday adjourning until June 9, ruling on a N16.3 million charcoal fraud case.
The newsmen report that Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned one Omolara Sevensson and her company, OOK and Eilvor Group Ltd., on a six-count charge bordering on obtaining money under false pretences.
On Wednesday, defence counsel, Mr Adebisi Orija, prayed the court to dismiss the charge, arguing that there was a subsisting court judgment relating to the case.
“My lord, we have listed five grounds to support the motion and filed a written address dated Dec. 6, 2021, which we seek to adopt.
“There is a subsisting judgment delivered by Justice Folarin.
“Our argument basically is that the fact upon which the charge was filed against the defendant has been subjected to a subsisting judgment delivered by Justice Folarin.
“The defendant filed a motion seeking release of her passport, which is part of the judgment delivered by Justice Folarin, but as at today, EFCC has not obliged.
“We humbly pray the court to dismiss this charge,” he said.
In his response, EFCC counsel, Mr Ayanfe Ogunsina, told the court that prosecution had filed a counter-affidavit.
“My lord, the charge before the court had earlier been filed since 2019 before Justice Sholebo but it was struck out because the defendant absconded.
“The matter is never civil.
The matter is such that the defendant fraudulently obtained money from the petitioner.
“I pray the court to proceed with trial in the interest of justice,” Ogunsina said.
Justice Oluwatoyin Taiwo adjourned ruling on the application until June 9.
The EFCC alleges that the defendant obtained the sum of N16.3 million from the complainant, Mr Peter Emeya, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Peter Groups Services Ltd. on the pretext of selling five 40ft containers of charcoal for him.
The commission said that the alleged offences contravened Sections 1(1)(a) and (1)(3) of the Advance Free Fraud and other Related Offences Act of 2006.
