Crime
Man, 26, bags 16 years imprisonment for attempted rape, grievous harm
An Ado-Ekiti High Court, on Wednesday sentenced a 26- year-old man, Ajikawo Oluwatosin, to 14 years imprisonment with canning for attempted rape and another two years for causing grievous harm.
The convict had appeared before Justice Olalekan Olatawura on Dec.16, 2021, on a two-count charge of attempting to rape and causing grievous harm to one Kolawole Omotola.
In his judgment, the judge found Oluwatosin guilty on the two counts.
Olatawura, thereby, sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment with canning in respect of counts one and two years imprisonment on count two of causing grievous harm.
The judge, however, said that the sentences are to run concurrently.
“In considering the appropriate sentence to be passed, I take notice of the fact that sexual aggravated assaults on females have alarmingly increased within this jurisdiction and it must be nipped in the bud.
“The defendant showed no remorse up to this point.
“He is in my own opinion, not only a clear and present danger, but also a threat to women.
“And, he should not be given any sympathetic consideration to serve as a deterrent to other people or persons of his like,” Olatawura said in his judgment.
The Prosecution Counsel, Mrs Olasanmi Oluwaseun, had told the court that the convict, on Feb.13, 2021 in Ado-Ekiti, within the jurisdiction of the court, attempted to rape one Kolawole Omotola and also caused grievous harm on her.
Oluwaseun said that the offences contravened Sections 359 and 335 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
The prosecutor, to prove her case, called two witnesses and tendered statements of the victim, witnesses and the defendant as exhibits.
In her testimony before the court, the victim said, “I was sleeping around 11.00 p.m, I heard a bang at my door. I woke up to know what was happening, the defendant suddenly emerged with a knife, he ordered me to lie down on the bed, but I declined.
“He started hitting my head on the wall and punching me in the face, I was shouting loudly. This attracted the attention of my neighbours who came to my rescue after he had overpowered me.
“He was then handed over to the Police, while I was taken to the hospital for medical treatment due to knife and bodily injury I sustained during the struggle,” she told the court.
In his defence, the convict admitted and confessed to have committed the offences.
The convict had told the court: ‘’When I broke to her house, I wanted to have sex with her, because she looked sexy and beautiful.
“It was painful for me not have succeeded in having sex with her. I overpowered her, but she was rescued by her neighbours.”
Hearing in two separate money laundering suits filed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against British national, James Nolan, could not proceed on Wednesday at a Federal High Court, Abuja.
The matter, which was scheduled for adoption of final written addresses of parties by Justice Donatus Okorowo, suffered setback due to failure of Nolan’s counsel, Michael Ajara, to file and serve his processes on the EFCC”s lawyer, Bala Sanga.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Okorowo had, on Nov. 20, 2023, fixed today for adoption of the final addresses after Nolan, who jumped bail and fled Nigeria in the alleged 9.6 billion dollars Process and Industrial Development (P&ID) Ltd scandal, opened his defence in absentia without calling any witness.
Ajara had told the judge that he did not intend to call any witness upon resumed hearing in the matter in the last adjourned date.
He said after his evaluation of the EFCC’s evidence, he would rely on the case of the prosecution and Sanga did not object, upon which the matter was fixed for today.
When the matter was called on Wednesday, Ajara had not filed their final written address.
The lawyer prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him do the needful.
The anti-graft agency’s lawyer, Christie Makar, who held Sanga’s brief, did not oppose the oral application.
Justice Okorowo consequently adjourned the matter until May 6 for adoption of final written addresses.
NAN reports that the EFCC is prosecuting Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited and Nolan in the charged marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/272/2022 as 1st and 2nd defendants in the case.
Also, the commission is also prosecuting the sister case marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/273/2022 filed against Resorts Express Concept Nigeria Ltd, another company, and Corrado Fantoli as 1st and 2nd defendants respectively before Okorowo.
Fantoli, also a foreigner and an associate of Nolan, was one of the suspects behind the alleged $9.6 billion P&ID fraud.
The suspect, said to be at large, alongside the company, was arraigned in absentia on Nov. 25, 2022, on eight-count money laundering charge.
He was not present in court or represented by a lawyer when they were arraigned.
The court also declared him wanted and ordered for his arrest anywhere he is sighted after Sanga made application to the effect.
Fantoli and Giovanna Beccarelli, who had also been declared wanted and an arrest warrant issued against her, were said to be directors and signatories to the company’s Guaranty Trust Bank account number: 0123849451.
Resorts Express Concept Nigeria Ltd and Trinity Biotech Nigeria Limited are two of the over 30 companies associated with the $9.6 billion scam.
NAN reports that other cases linked to the scandal are currently before Justice Ahmed Mohammed, Justice Obiora Egwuatu, Justice Zainab Abubakar of FHC, Abuja, besides other charges at FCT High Courts.
A Business and Property Court in London presided over by Justice Robin Knowles of the Commercial Courts of England and Wales had, in October, quashed the 11 billion dollars awarded against Nigeria in a case filed by the P&ID.
Judge Knowles held that the award was obtained by fraud and that what had happened in the case was contrary to public policy.
The Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai, OPHK, and the Nigerien Air Force on Tuesday eliminated scores of terrorists and destroyed their hideouts in Damasak and Mobbar local government areas of Borno State.
A statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information of NAF, AVM Edward Gabkwet, on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the interdictions were under the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF.
Gabkwet said the terrorists had attempted to attack troops of Sector 4 of the MNJTF at Lada, a border town between Niger Republic and Nigeria, and subsequently fled across the border into Nigeria.
He further stated that they were observed hibernating in the village with their motorcycles hidden under trees.
“Subsequently, airstrikes from the Air Component of OPHK and Nigerien Air Force, under the watchful eye of Niger’s Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance (ISR) aircraft, struck the terrorists’ locations.
“Real-time ISR footage later confirmed numerous terrorists were eliminated and several structures within the targeted areas destroyed.
“It has also led to the reduction in terrorism and other forms of cross-border crimes perpetrated by criminals crisis-crossing the borders to evade justice,” he added.
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