News
Court remands ex-Punch staff over alleged N950 million fraud
An Ikeja Special Offences Court, on Wednesday, ordered the remand of the former staff of Punch Newspaper Ltd, Olusegun Ogunbanjo, in Kirikiri correctional facility over alleged N950 million fraud.
The presiding judge, Justice Ismail Ijelu, remanded Mr Ogunbanjo pending his arraignment on the alleged fraud.
The court order was a sequel to an exparte application filed and argued by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr Babajide Martins, dated June 19, and supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit.
Mr Martins submitted that the court had issued a warrant of arrest against the defendant, Mr Ogunbanjo, on May 28, 2024, after he refused to appear in court to answer the criminal charge against him.
He said the defence counsel, Chijioke Jiakponna, had told the court to produce the defendant for arraignment but did not, before the court issued the warrant of arrest.
According to Mr Martins, in consonance with the law, we filed a written address as well as the affidavit in support of the exparte application.
“The application is seeking an order to remand the defendant pending the arraignment.
“They vied that he failed to appear in court to answer the criminal charge against him. The counsel on record has informed the court to bring the defendant but failed to do so.
“It was the Department of State Security (DSS) that arrested him on June 14. The application is harmless and is in tandem with the law.
“The court should take judicial notice that the criminal charge has been pending since November 2023. On March 28, the court issued a warrant of arrest when he failed to appear in court.”
It would be recalled that aside Mr Ogunbanjo, other defendants in the suit marked ID/21559C/2023 are Olawunmi Ogunbanjo, Vaneloo International Limited, Valeco Global Ventures, Bagco Garba, Taofeek Ogunbanjo, Ifeanyi Odogwu, Bound Media Limited and Godwin Benson.
Mr Ogunbanjo was first arraigned on March 8, 2023 on three counts bordering on obtaining money by pretence, forgery and stealing before the Magistrate’s Court.
The police alleged that the defendant committed the offence between January 2017 and December 2022, in the Ikorodu area of Lagos state.
The defendant was alleged to have obtained N450m from one Olusola lkuyajesin and N500m from one Durodola Balogun under the pretences of using the money to buy stationeries.
He was also accused of forging the organisation’s local purchase orders to carry out the acts.
The prosecution said the offences contravened sections 287, 314, and 365 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.
However, the 45-year-old pleaded not guilty to the charges and was granted bail in the sum of N10m with two responsible sureties in like sum.
Since November, when the case was filed at the High Court, he failed to appear in court.
However, while ruling on the ex-parte application on Wednesday, Mr Ijelu said he had carefully considered the prosecution prayers and his submission.
“The ACJL 2021 states that where the defendant is arrested after bench warrant has been issued, the defendant must be brought to court for a remand.
“It is on record that this court issued a warrant of arrest against the defendant on March 28. It is hereby ordered that the first defendant be remanded in Kirikiri Correctional Centre till June 20 for his arraignment.”
He subsequently adjourned the case to June 20 for arraignment.
(NAN)
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has disclaimed a purported recruitment announcement for the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC), warning the public against falling victim to fraudulent schemes.
In a statement released on its official X handle (formerly Twitter) on Friday evening, the oil company clarified that no separate recruitment process was ongoing for PHRC beyond the one initiated in 2024.
The statement, titled “NNPC Ltd Disclaims Purported Recruitment Announcement for PHRC,” was signed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye.
“The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has urged members of the public to discountenance purported recruitment announcement for the Port Harcourt Refining Company (PHRC) circulating in certain online platforms,” the statement read.
NNPC Ltd further explained that its recruitment process, which commenced last year, covered all its subsidiaries, including PHRC. The company noted that candidates who passed the Computer-Based Aptitude Test were proceeding to the interview stage.
“The purported recruitment link being circulated in various online platforms is the handiwork of fraudsters who are keen on taking advantage of the newly revamped Port Harcourt Refinery to fleece unsuspecting members of the public with a phantom recruitment announcement. We, therefore, call on members of the public to be wary of the ploy and not fall for it,” the statement warned.
The Adamawa State Muslims Pilgrims Welfare Commission has disbursed N61,080 to each of the 2023 pilgrims from the state over poor services rendered to them by the service providers while in Saudi Arabia.
The executive secretary of the pilgrims commission, Malam Abubakar Salihu, disbursed the refunded money, saying it was a step of accountability.
The disbursement was paid into the account of the pilgrims or, for those without account numbers, through the local government schedule officers of the 21 local governments of the state.
Responding on behalf of the beneficiaries, Alhaji Shuaibu Musa Mele appreciated the commission for ensuring that each pilgrim gets his rightful refund.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had earlier refunded money through the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria, for sharing among the 36 states of the country.
A school building in Fakai village, reportedly used as a food storage facility by the notorious bandit leader Bello Turji, has been destroyed.
The facility, which had been stocked with large quantities of food supplies, was completely razed, leaving the structure in ruins.
According to local sources, the school was repurposed by the bandits to support their operations in the region.
It served as a key logistical hub for storing essential supplies, ensuring the group’s ability to sustain its activities over time.
The destruction of the stockpile is seen as a major setback for Bello Turji’s network. By eliminating a critical resource hub, the operation is expected to disrupt the group’s supply chain and hinder their ability to operate effectively in the area.
Counter-terrorism expert Zagazola Makama reported that the incident underscores ongoing efforts to counter the influence and operations of bandit groups in the region.
Residents of Fakai village and surrounding areas hope this effort signals further strides toward restoring peace and security.
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