Author: Joy Akinsanya

Sentence
By Joy Akinsanya
Abeokuta, June 14, 2024 (NAN) An Abeokuta Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday sentenced a 35-year-old man, Kabiru Lawal, to three months imprisonment for stealing goats and ram.
Lawal, who resides at Olomore area of Abeokuta, had pleaded guilty to the two-count charge of stealing and conversion.
The Magistrate, Mrs V.B. William, convicted Lawal, following his guilty plea to the charges preferred against him.
William, thereafter, sentenced him to three months each for the first and second counts, saying that the sentence must run concurrently.
She, however, gave him an option of restituting the amount of the goat and ram to the complainant.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Lawrence Olu-Balogun, told the court that Lawal committed the offences sometime in June 2023 at No. 47, Kuforiji Olubi drive, Abeokuta.
Olu-Balogun said that the defendant fraudulently obtained eight goats and one ram, all valued at N300,000, property of one Mr Ibrahim Akanbi, under the pretence of helping the complainant sell the goats and ram.
“The complainant gave the defendant eight goats and a ram to help him sell them, but the defendant sold all of them and converted the money to his personal use.
“After committing the crime, he ran out of Ogun state without remitting the money to the complainant, but was later caught,” he said.
The prosecutor said that the offences contravened the provisions of Section 419(b) and 390(3) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun, 2006 (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
IOJ/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq

Grant

By Joy Akinsanya
Abeokuta, June 7, 2024 (NAN) Mrs Bamidele Abiodun, the wife of Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, on Friday in Abeokuta urged beneficiaries of the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI) grants to judiciously utilise them.

Abiodun, who is also the state coordinator of RHI, gave the charge during the disbursement and interactive session with 20 beneficiaries drawn from all the state’s Local Government Areas (LGAs).

The governor’s wife said they must use the grants in boosting food sufficiency and security.

She noted that the exercise was in fulfilment of the promise of N10 million to boost food production in each of the states, with each of the beneficiaries receiving N500,000.

“The disbursement is in accordance with the directive of the First Lady, Sen. Oluremi Tinubu, to support 20 female farmers from each state with N500,000 each.

”It is to encourage more women to be involved in the agricultural sector,” Abiodun added.

Earlier, the state’s Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Mr Bolu Owotomo, had said the event was in furtherance of government’s commitment to promoting and empowering women in the sector.

Owotomo added that the grant was given to ensure adequate food production in the state in particular and the country at large.

“Achieving sustainable development in agriculture plays a critical role in ensuring food sufficiency. The RHI is to assist female farmers to help strengthen the sector.

“So, you must maximally make use of this gesture to meet the purpose it is meant for,” he said.

Owotomo urged the beneficiaries to form groups and register with the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project to further benefit from other government interventions.

He said this would increase food production and improve their livelihood.

In his remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture, Dr. Angel Adelaja, noted that the role of women in agriculture could not be over emphasised.

He promised to give all necessary support to women farmers and ensure they were not left out in various intervention programmes to help them improve.

Responding on the farmers’ behalf, Mrs Elizabeth Kalejaye, a fish farmer, and Mrs Temitope, a poultry farmer, applauded the initiative, saying the money would be used to expand their businesses.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that on April 16 First Lady Oluremi Tinubu had flagged off the RHI Women Agricultural Support Programme for the South-West in Abeokuta.

She has so far empowered 120 women farmers in the south-west geo-political zone with N60 million, with 20 of them from Ogun.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

IOJ/EOB/OLAL

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(Edited by Edith Bolokor and Olawale Alabi)

Impersonation
By Joy Akinsanya
Abeokuta, June 7, 2024 (NAN) An Abeokuta Magistrates’ Court on Friday sentenced a 30-year-old man, Oluwadamilare Salako, to two weeks community service for impersonating a police and army officer.
Salako, whose address was not provided, had pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of impersonation.
In her judgment, Mrs O.O. Odumosu, noted that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty as charged.
Odumosu held that the evidence presented by the prosecution were tenable, thereby sentencing Salako to two weeks community service without an option of fine.
She ordered that the sentence be served within the court premises.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, ASP Olakunle Shonibare, had told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometime in 2018 at Asero area of Abeokuta.
Shonibare said that the convict impersonated himself by wearing both the police and army uniforms to pose on his Facebook account, knowing it was false representation.
He said that the convict impersonated himself with the intent to deceive the public that he was a member of the armed forces and also a police officer.
According to him, the offence contravenes Sections 109(a) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun, 2006. (NAN) (www.nannews.ng)
IOJ/WAS
Edited by ‘Wale Sadeeq

Teenager

By Joy Akinsanya
Abeokuta, June. 7, 2024 (NAN) A Special Anti Cultism Court in Abeokuta, on Friday, sentenced a teenager, Saheed Akanni, to three years imprisonment for unlawfully being in possession of an axe.

Akanni, 18, with no fixed address, was sentenced on a two-count charge of unlawful possession of dangerous weapon and conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

In his judgment, the Magistrate, Mr Olakunleyin Oke, said that the prosecution, proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant was guilty as charged.

Oke held that the evidence presented by the prosecution were tenable.

He sentenced Akanni to two years imprisonment for illegal possession of harmful weapon and one year jail term without option of fine, for conduct likely to cause breach of peace.

Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp Olaide Rawlings, told the court that the defendant committed the offence on April 16, at Miami, Panseke area of Abeokuta.

Rawlings said that the defendant was publicly caught in possession of one iron battle axe.

He said that defendant had the intention of using the axe to cause harm and breach of peace.

The prosecutor said that Akanni was arrested by a team of policemen on patrol who got a distress call concerning a cult clash at Miami in Panseke.

“The defendant was caught with an axe, when asked what he was doing with the axe, he could not give a reasonable answer”, she said.

He said that the offence contravened Sections 80 and 70 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ogun 2006. (NAN)(nannews.ng)

IOJ/FAT/AZU
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Edited by Fatima Sule Abdullahi and Azubuike Okeh