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Court sentences popular American Businessnan to 74 years imprisonment for $1.2 million visa fraud

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Justice Mojisola Dada of the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja has sentenced Marco Antonio Ramirez, an American businessman, to 74 years imprisonment for his role in a $1.2 million US visa fraud.

The sentence was handed down after Ramirez was found guilty on 16 charges related to defrauding investors of $1.2 million through a visa scam and an additional $368,698.24 in a separate fraud case. The charges were brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The EFCC accused Ramirez and his companies—USA NOW LLC, Eagle Ford Instalodge Group LP, and USA Now Capital Group LP—of defrauding three Nigerians between February and August 2013 in Lagos. He allegedly collected funds from his victims as processing fees for investments in USA Now Energy Capital Group LP, which he claimed would secure them a U.S. Green Card through the Employment-Based Fifth Preference (EB-5) Investor Programme. However, Ramirez failed to deliver on his promises.

The EFCC stated that Ramirez’s actions violated Sections 1 (3) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act of 2004.

Despite pleading not guilty, Ramirez was found guilty of multiple counts of fraud and theft, including dishonestly converting $545,000 from Godson Onyemaechi Echegile and $314,800 from Abubakar Umar Sadiq for personal use.

After multiple adjournments, the court sentenced Ramirez to 10 years for each of the 16 charges related to the initial visa scam. Additionally, he received sentences of eight years for counts one to six and ten years for counts seven and eight in the separate fraud case involving $368,698.24, where he also defrauded Gabriel Ogie Edeoghon of $250,000, falsely claiming the funds were for a U.S. Green Card investment.

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End Bad Governance Protest: Court slams N10m bail each on 10 hunger protesters

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday slammed N10 million bail each on the
ten members of the #endbadgovernance# protesters who were charged with attempting to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu between July 1 and August 4 this year.

Justice Emeka Nwite admitted them to bail while delivering a ruling on their bail applications.

Among others, the protesters are to produce one surety each in the same amount while the sureties must be residents in Abuja.

Besides, the sureties must be property owners in Abuja and must deposit documents of the properties to the court in addition to swearing an affidavit of means.

Also, both the defendants and the sureties must deposit their international passports and three recent passport photographs with the court.

Justice Nwite, while rejecting the objections of the Inspector General of Police against the bail request, ordered the defendants not to participate in any public rally throughout their trial.

Pending the perfection of their respective bail conditions, the Judge ordered that they be remanded in prison custody.

Meanwhile, September 27 has been fixed for the commencement of their trial.

The accused persons were said to have committed the treasonable offence during their one-week nationwide protests when they allegedly levied war against Nigeria.

The offences were said to be contrary to sections 96, 410 and 413 of the Penal Code.

The Inspector General of Police, IGP, who brought the charges against them alleged that the accused persons broke into the Abacha Army Barracks and openly called on the military to take over the constitutional government of President Tinubu.

He also alleged that they attempted to force their way into the seat of power during which they allegedly burned down a police station and injured police officers.

They were also said to have incited the Nigerian public against the government and destroyed several public properties including a Police station, High Court complex and National Communication Commission, NCC facilities.

The accused persons are Michael Tobiloba Adaramoye, Adeyemi Abiodun Abayomi, Suleiman Yakubu, Opaluwa Eleojo Simon, Angel Love Innocent, Buhari Lawal, Mosiu Sadiq, Bashir Bello Nurudeen Khamis and Abduldalam Zubair.

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BREAKING: Federal High Court remands #EndBadGovernance protesters in Kuje prison

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of several protesters involved in the recent #EndBadGovernance protest.

The remand is set at the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja, pending the hearing and ruling on their bail application scheduled for September 11, 2024.

This decision was made after the defendants pleaded not guilty to a six-count charge brought against them by the Federal Government, including allegations of terrorism.

The charges were filed on August 30, 2024, and were signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Simon Lough, SAN, on behalf of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).

During the proceedings, the defendant’s counsel moved an oral application for bail, which was opposed by the prosecution because some of the charges carry capital punishment.

Despite the defence’s request for the defendants to be remanded in police custody, Justice Nwite ruled that they should be held at the Kuje Correctional Center, with the female defendant being remanded at the Keffi Correctional Center in Nasarawa State.

The charges against the defendants include treason, destabilizing the country, intimidating the President, and destroying the National Communications Commission facility in Kano.

The government also named a British citizen, Andrew Wynne (also known as Andrew Povich), as a defendant in the case.

The bail hearing is set for September 11, 2024, when the court will decide on the defendant’s release pending trial.

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JUST IN: Court sends Abba Kyari back to Kuje Prison After Two-Weeks Bail

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Federal High Court Abuja has declined granting bail to suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari and two other senior police officers facing trial for drug-related charges.

Justice Emeka Nwite in a ruling held that the defendants had not brought any evidence in court to warrant the court’s discretion.

The trial judge held that the court must exercise its discretion judiciously and in this case it cannot grant bail to the defendants.

This ruling is coming about three weeks after Kyari was granted temporarily bail for two weeks on passionate grounds, to the tune of N50 million and a surety in like sum to enable him attend to his late mother’s burial rites.

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BREAKING: Confusion in Kano as another court orders Sanusi’s removal

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has ordered the police to evict Sanusi Lamido Sanusi from the palace of the 16th Emir of Kano.

The new directive came barely an hour after a Kano High Court issued an order restraining the police, the Department of State Service and the military from evicting the reinstated Emir of Kano.

The Justice S.A. Amobeda granted the new order on Tuesday upon the motion filed before the court on May 27, 2024.

The Federal High Court case was filed by the deposed Emir Aminu Bayero, while the Kano High Court case was filed the reinstated Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II alongside the four kingmakers of Kano: Madakin Kano Yusuf Nabahani; Makaman Kano Ibrahim Sarki Abdullahi; Sarkin Bai Mansur Adnan and Sarkin Dawaki Maituta Bello Tuta.

The prayers read: “That the Respondents either by themselves, their agents, servants, privies or any other person or authority are restrained from inviting, arresting, detaining, threatening, intimidating, harassing the Applicant, raiding, tempering with or visiting the Applicant’s in order to arrest or infringe on his right or in any other way infringe or attempt to infringe the Applicant’s rights pending the hearing and determination of the Originating Motion.

That the 3rd, 4th and 5th Respondents and all other Respondents are hereby restrained from denying the applicant to úse his official residence and palace at the Emir’s Palace, Kofar Kudu as well as enjoyment of all rights and privileges accrued to him by virtue of being Emir of Kano State and to evicting anything, anybody residing within the palace illegally pending the hearing and the determination of the originating summons.

“That leave is granted to the bailiff of this Court to serve the 3rd and 4th Respondents with all processes in this suit through the office of the 5th Respondent situate at Police Headquarters, Kano Command, Bompai, Kano State and deeming the service as valid, personal and proper.

“That leave is also granted to the bailiff of this Court to serve the 6th and 7th Respondents with all processes in this suis through their respective Kano offices situate at Giginyu, Kano and Zaria Road, Kano and deeming the service as valid, personal and proper.

“That this Court is mindful of the Order made by my Learned Brother Liman J. on 23rd day of May, 2024 in suit Ne: FHC/KN/CS/182/2024.

“That this order is made in the interest of Justice and maintenance of peace in Kano State.

“That an Order for expeditious hearing of this suit is mate.

“That the fling of the processes by the Respondents in aridged to 72 hours (3 days)
from the service of this Order and the Processes of this Honourable Court.”

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BREAKING: FG sues 36 states at Supreme Court over local govt autonomy

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

The federal government has sued the thirty-six governors before the Supreme Court to ensure the autonomy of the nation’s local governments.

In the suit, marked SC/CV/343/2024, was filed on May 20, by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF), Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) on behalf of the federal government.

The federal government is praying the Apex Court for an order prohibiting state governors from unilateral, arbitrary, and unlawful dissolution of democratically elected leaders for local governments.

It also prayed the Supreme Court for an order permitting the funds standing in the credits of local governments to be directly channelled to them from the federation account in line with the provisions of the Constitution as against the alleged unlawful joint accounts created by governors.

It wanted an order stopping governors from constituting caretaker committees to run the affairs of local governments as against the constitutionally recognized and guaranteed democratic system.

Also, the federal government wants an order of injunction restraining the governors, their agents, and privies from receiving, spending or tampering with funds released from the Federation Account for the benefit of local governments when no democratically elected local government system is put in place in the states.

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Court stops Sanusi’s reinstatement as Emir of Kano

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has granted an ex-parte order stopping Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano from reinstating Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II pending the determination of a substantive suit filed against the reinstatement.

The order also kicked against the abolishment of four emirates: Bichi, Gaya, Karaye, and Rano.

Leading Reporters earlier reported that the reinstatement was consequent upon a bill earlier passed by the State House of Assembly on Thursday.

The court, however, directed all parties involved to maintain status quo ante pending the determination of the suit filed by Sarkin Dawaki Babba and Aminu Babba-Dan’Agundi on Thursday.

Justice A.M. Liman of the Federal High Court granted leave to the Plaintiff/Applicant to issue and serve their concurrent originating motion, as well as all other court processes on the 6th Defendant (IGP) in FCT Abuja and outside the jurisdiction of the Honourable Court.

The defendants in the suit include the Kano State Government, the Kano State House of Assembly, the Speaker of the State Assembly, the Kano State Commissioner of Police, the Inspector General of Police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Department of State Services.

Justice Liman ordered that “in view of the Constitutional and Jurisdictional Issues apparent on the face of the application, parties shall address the Court on same at the hearing of the Fundamental Rights application which is fixed for the 3rd of June, 2024.

That in order to maintain the peace and security of the state, an Interim Injunction of this Honourable Court is granted restraining the Respondents from enforcing, executing, implementing and operationalizing the Kano State Emirate Law Council (Repeal) Law.

“That parties are hereby ordered to maintain status quo ante the passage and assent of the bill pending the hearing of the Fundamental Rights application.”

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BREAKING: Court grants Kyari bail after 27 months in detention

by Folarin Kehinde
written by Folarin Kehinde

Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has granted former commander of Force Intelligence Response Team, DCP Abba Kyari two weeks bail after 27 months in detention.

Kyari is expected to go home and conclude his mother’s burial rites.

The court subsequently set Friday, May 31 for determination of his bail application in trial over drug-related charges filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) following his arrest over two years ago on February 14, 2022.

Recall that in 2022, the Police Service Commission (PSC) suspended Kyari and two senior police officers — Sunday Ubua and James Bawa — named in the cocaine deal involving suspended deputy commissioner of police.

“The Police Service Commission has suspended assistant commissioner of police, ACP Sunday Ubua and assistant superintendent of police, ASP James Bawa from the exercise of the powers and functions of their respective Offices with effect from Monday, 14th February, 2022,” the PSC said in a statement.

The NDLEA had also declared Kyari wanted over alleged links with an international drug cartel.

Femi Babalola, spokesperson of the NDLEA, alleged that Kyari and his Intelligence Response Team (IRT) arrested some drug traffickers who arrived in the country from Ethiopia with 25kg of cocaine but took 15kg of the seized substance for themselves.

The police arrested Kyari, Ubua, Bawa, and John Nuhu for “tampering with narcotic exhibits and unprofessional infractions” and handed them to the anti-drug agency.

The spokesperson of the PSC said the commission asked Usman Baba, inspector-general of police, to suspend two police inspectors — Simon Agrigba and John Nuhu.

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