Politics
OFFICIAL!!! Man convicted of theft in US emerges traditional ruler in Nigeria
The Nigerian man was convicted of theft at the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, State of Maryland in the US in April 1997, according to court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
When Ifechukwude Okonjo emerged as the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku in Delta State in September 2019, there was no indication that he had been convicted of a crime in the US.
Ogwa-Uku is a community in Anaocha South Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria’s South-South.
Mr Okonjo succeeded his father, Chukuka Okonjo, a professor whose death was announced on 13 September 2019.
Findings by PREMIUM TIMES showed that he was crowned days after the death of his father.
Conviction in the US
According to court documents obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Okonjo was convicted of theft in April 1997 at the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, State of Maryland, in the US.
The court documents showed that his younger brother, Onyema Okonjo, was also convicted of a similar offence on 23 January 1998.
Charges, arraignment and trial
Mr Okonjo was first criminally indicted on 20 April 1995 and summoned to appear before a judge the following day.
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After initially failing to make his appearance on 12 August 1995, he finally showed up at the court on 14 July of this same year.
He was initially charged with theft and conspiracy to commit the crime with his younger brother, Onyema.
Specifically, the first count charge indicated that Mr Okonjo stole “assorted computers and computer peripheral equipment, the property of Digital Equipment Corporation, having the value of $300 or greater” between 23 January 1995 and 24 March 1995 in Montgomery County, Maryland.
According to the court document, the offence violated Article 27, Section 342 of the Annotated Code of Maryland and was against the peace, government, and dignity of the US state.
He was released on bail on “personal recognisance” after paying a $2,500 bail bond.
Then unemployed and single, Mr Okonjo resided with his elder sister, Ngozi Okonjo,at 7004 West Greenvale Parkway, Chary Chase, MD 20815, in the US.
Ngozi Okonjo, now popularly known as Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been the director-general of the World Trade Organisation since March 2021.
At the time of the trial, Mr Okonjo was 30 and had lived in the US for nine years. He is now 57.
His brother, Onyema, was criminally indicted by the court on 18 October 1996, and a bench warrant was issued against him the same day.
By then, Onyema was 28 years old and married; he is now 55. He made his first court appearance on 14 November 1997.
His charge indicated that he committed the crime of theft and conspiracy between 28 October 1993 and 24 March 1995 in Montgomery County, Maryland.
According to the court documents, he claimed to be homeless at the time.
Like his brother, Onyema was released on bail on “personal recognisance.”
Mr Okonjo and Onyema were told that the condition of their release was that they should appear in court during sittings or their bail bond would be forfeited.
They were also told that failure to surrender themselves within 30 days after the bail forfeiture might cause them to be further charged, fined and/or imprisoned.
Sentencing
Mr Okonjo and Onyema, after their bail, separately failed to appear before the court on hearing and trial dates, forfeited their bail bonds and also “willfully” failed to surrender themselves within 30 days after the forfeiture, according to the court documents.
One of the documents indicated that Onyema left the US after being granted bail.
The court then separately charged and found Mr Okonjo and Onyema guilty of failing to surrender themselves within 30 days of their bail forfeiture.
Consequently, the court, on 29 April 1997, sentenced Mr Okonjo to six months imprisonment.
For the first count of theft of assorted computers worth $300, the court also sentenced Mr Okonjo to one-year imprisonment beginning from 4 April 1997, when the judgment was delivered.
The court documents did not indicate if the sentences were to run concurrently.
Similarly, the court, on 23 January 1998, sentenced Onyema to 57 days imprisonment.
It is unclear if Mr Okonjo and Onyema served their jail terms in the US or ran back to Nigeria, given that they had jumped bail before their conviction.
Honoured in Nigeria
In 2019, after their father’s death, Mr Okonjo and Onyema joined other princes in the contest for the traditional stool of the Ogwashi-Uku Community.
The community residents were unaware that the duo had been convicted of theft in the US.
After the contest, Mr Okonjo emerged as the community’s traditional ruler and was crowned days later.
He is now the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, the highest traditional authority in the community.
Petition to the SSS
The conviction of Mr Okonjo and Onyema im the US became public knowledge after some community members obtained certified true copies of the court judgment.
Some members of the community subsequently petitioned the Delta State Government and the State Security Service (SSS) and accused Mr Okonjo of engaging in land grabbing, illegal arms dealings, harassment of indigenes, and formation of armed militia groups, among others.
The petition to the SSS, dated 4 October 2024 and addressed to the SSS director-general, was authored by F.O. Okolie, a law firm, on behalf of some community members.
The community members on whose authority the petition was authored included Chiedu Enwenwa, Hyacinth Okolie, Ellen Adigwe and Bruce Ugo Emordi.
In the petition, the community members claimed that Mr Okonjo, Onyema and others recruited some unnamed gunmen from South-east Nigeria into the community’s vigilante security outfit.
They alleged that the recruited gunmen were being used to forcefully take over people’s landed property and also to commit violent crimes such as kidnapping and murder.
They also claimed that the duo and others were using police operatives to intimidate community members, alleging that the issue had earlier been reported to the police authorities in Nigeria and that no action had been taken.
They expressed fear that, given the current tension, the community was on the verge of being thrown into war and a breakdown of law and order.
The community members, in the petition, appealed to the SSS to investigate all the community vigilante groups and palace guards as well as the alleged kidnap and murder of some indigenes of the community.
They also called for an investigation into Mr Okonjo’s alleged “illegitimate dealings in prohibited firearms” allegedly imported into the community by gunmen.
Palace speaks
On 31 October, a PREMIUM TIMES reporter contacted Ifeakanachukwu Emordi, Mr Okonjo’s palace secretary, to seek to speak with the traditional ruler about the allegations.
After dismissing Mr Okonjo’s conviction for theft as untrue, Mr Emordi promised to get the traditional ruler to speak with our reporter on the phone.
Minutes later, Onyema phoned our reporter and claimed, without evidence, that the petitioners were not representatives of Ogwashi-Uku.
Regarding the allegations of land grabbing, he claimed that all lands in Ogwashi-Uku are held in trust by the traditional ruler in accordance with the community’s traditions and customs.
“That’s our land tenure system. Obi doesn’t have to grab any land that is under his custody,” he said.
He said the SSS should be allowed to investigate the allegation of recruiting gunmen into the community’s vigilante groups and harassment of indigenes.
When quizzed about the conviction of the traditional ruler in the US, he responded, “We are not aware of that.”
Our reporter again requested to speak with the traditional ruler. Onyema promised to inform the traditional ruler and revert. But he did not get back to the reporter.
When contacted again on 6 November, nearly a week after, he claimed Mr Okonjo was busy and not available to speak on the issues.
Onyema said he might get another person to respond before the end of the week if the traditional ruler remained unavailable.
When our reporter informed him that court documents shows that he too was convicted in the US, Onyema retorted, “I can’t speak to all of these issues.”
“We will get back to you to try to clear the air as far as any of these issues are concerned,” he added.
Commission of enquiry
In response to the petition, the Delta State Government set up a commission of enquiry to investigate the allegations against the traditional ruler, particularly on land-related issues.
The commission is expected to begin a public hearing on Thursday and conclude it on 20 November 2024, according to an announcement from the Secretary to the commission, Gabriel Eze-Owenz, a lawyer.
SEE COURT DOCUMENT BELOW
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Politics
Pst. Tobi tackles Badenoch: Between 2023 and 2024, about 78,000 bags and phones were snatched in UK
The British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has denied the allegations made by Pastor Tobi Adegboyega, who is based in the United Kingdom. According to Badenoch, Nigeria encourages its people to act inappropriately.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
Before she became the head of the UK opposition party, Badenoch had often criticized Nigeria. She made her allegations during an interview with a journalist in the UK. Additionally, she accused the Nigerian Police of stealing from the people they are supposed to protect.
According to The Punch, it was reported that in response, Adegboyega, whose church SPAC Nation was recently closed by the British Government due to concerns about mishandling £1.87 million in church funds, disagreed with her statements. He pointed out that there is no place in the world that is completely safe.
The pastor shared his views while appearing as a guest on an episode of Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday.
He said, “I completely disagree with that statement. Between 2023 and 2024, about 78,000 bags and phones were snatched in London and the UK alone. There’s a very strong Nigerian black community in this nation.”
Further talking, he said, “For people like the leader of the opposition (party) you just mentioned to get to that position, they’ve been fighting on the street. There were funerals where kids were killed in the UK. They buried three kids from the same parents.”CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The Osun State Government’s recent consideration of the prerogative of mercy for convicted individuals has drawn significant attention and has invariably stirred public opinion based on incomplete or misleading narratives. While this action demonstrates the government’s commitment to exercising compassion and upholding constitutional provisions, it is imperative that such privilege is not misinterpreted or misused to distort the sanctity of judicial decisions. Misleading narratives aimed at undermining the judiciary not only threaten public trust but also obscure the real facts surrounding this case.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The Osun State Government deserves commendation for its thoughtful approach to this matter, particularly its willingness to consider clemency in light of the convicts’ circumstances through the prerogative of mercy as exercised by the executive arm of government is a constitutional provision designed to temper justice with compassion and mercy when appropriate. But this authority is not in anyway a critique of judicial decisions. Instead, it reflects a complementary relationship between the arms of government, underscoring the separation of powers.
However, it is equally crucial to avoid abusing this constitutional privilege by turning the law into a tool to fit a distorted narrative, especially one that trivialises the gravity of the original crimes. This recent development does not, and should not, be interpreted as a challenge to the judiciary’s authority. The judiciary’s role is to ensure that justice is served based on evidence and the letter of the law, while the executive’s mercy is a discretionary act that operates within a separate but complementary sphere.
It is therefore crucial to clarify the facts and reaffirm the role of the judiciary as the backbone of any functional democracy tasked with interpreting and enforcing the law impartially based on evidence, legal statutes, and due process. The misleading portrayal of the judiciary, and in particular the judge who presided over the case, is not only unfair but risks undermining public trust in this vital arm of government.
The current case is a reflection of this democratic balance. The judiciary fulfilled its mandate by delivering a verdict based on the facts and the law. Any subsequent exercise of clemency by the executive does not negate the judiciary’s integrity but highlights the collaborative nature of governance under the separation of powers.
Contrary to sensationalised reports, the conviction of Olowookere Segun and Morakinyo Sunday was not for the petty theft of a fowl, but for armed robbery and related crimes. The prosecution, led by the state Solicitor-General, Mrs. Abiola Adewemimo, presented irrefutable evidence, including eyewitness accounts and confessions from the accused.
The case stemmed from an incident in the year 2010, when the convicts forcefully broke into the home of Mr. Balogun Tope, a police officer, armed with a cutlass and a dane gun. They carted away valuables, including livestock, and were apprehended following their involvement in similar robberies. The evidence showed a clear pattern of criminal behaviour, including their admission to robbing another individual, Alhaja Umani Oyewo, from whom they stole broilers, eggs, and kegs of vegetable oil.
Justice Jide Falola of the Osun State High Court, sitting in Okuku, delivered a judgment grounded in the law. The convicts were found guilty of conspiracy, robbery, and stealing, with sentences proportionate to the gravity of their crimes, death by hanging for conspiracy, in accordance with Section 6(b) and 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and Firearm (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R 11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004. Life imprisonment for robbery. Three years’ imprisonment for stealing.
The judge also showed humanity in his judgment, recommending that the governor may consider commuting the death sentence to a ten-year prison term, given the convicts’ ages and circumstances. This reflects a balanced application of the law, tempered with empathy, a situation we now witnessed being put into play by the Osun State government.
It is however disheartening to see attempts to trivialise this case by focusing solely on the theft of a fowl, ignoring the armed robbery charges and the overwhelming evidence presented in court. Such distortions risk misleading the public and eroding confidence in the judiciary. It is important for citizens to understand that the judiciary operates based on evidence and established legal frameworks, not emotion or public sentiment.
To those who care to know, the judiciary system in Nigeria cutting across the 36 sates and federal capital territory is a pillar of democracy, tasked with delivering justice impartially and without bias. So in the case of Osun State, Justice Falola’s handling of the case in question reflects the professionalism and integrity that underpin the judiciary’s work. The prerogative of mercy, if exercised, is not a repudiation of the court’s judgment but a constitutional tool for tempering justice with clemency.
Members of the public are urged to seek facts and reject narratives designed to undermine the judiciary. Trust in this institution is essential for maintaining law, order, and justice in society. Let us protect the integrity of the judiciary and support its critical role in safeguarding our democracy.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna has warned the Nigeria Customs Service against confiscating foreign rice in open markets.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
The court gave the order on Wednesday in a judgement following an appeal by Customs against the judgement of the Federal High Court, Kaduna, which discharged and acquitted one Suleiman Mohammed of a two-count charge on the importation of foreign goods.
In the judgement delivered by Justice Ntong Ntong, the three-member panel of justices of the appellate court ordered the Nigeria Customs Service to release 613 bags of foreign rice, alongside 80 bags of millet worth about N200 million, and a truck impounded from Suleiman Mohammed, a 37-year-old businessman, on the Kaduna-Zaria Expressway.
The court also held that: “Kaduna-Zaria Expressway is not a land border and that the Nigeria Customs Service has no right to arrest Suleiman Mohammed on June 14, 2019, and confiscate his goods on the Kaduna-Zaria Expressway, which is outside the contemplation or application of the ban on the importation of foreign rice.”
It further held that the Nigeria Customs Service “has no right to patrol the Kaduna-Zaria Expressway or any highway for the sole purpose of arresting and confiscating any foreign rice on those highways or expressways because they are not land borders.”
Justice Ntong said he had “taken time to read the record of appeal, especially the judgement of the trial court, briefs of parties, statutes, and exhibits, and agreed with the trial court that the Kaduna-Zaria Expressway is not a ‘land border’ as stipulated by the law.”
The court held that: “The defendant was merely a purchaser of rice and millet at the Central Market, Gusau, in Zamfara State, with a receipt of purchase and not an importer, and that the Nigeria Customs Service ought to have arrested the importer and not a mere purchaser from the open market.”
Justice Ntong wondered how a fowl, instead of attacking the person who killed it, pursues the person who is de-feathering it, an Annang idiom, which suggests that the appellant ought not to shut its eyes against importers and instead chase petty traders and consumers who buy in the open market.
The court held that, after all, contraband goods pass through the borders, the main beats of customs.
The Court of Appeal also chided officials of the Nigeria Customs Service for carrying out “a shoddy investigation in the comfort of their office,” holding that “where it has become difficult or impossible for them to return the confiscated rice, millet, and truck, the Nigeria Customs Service Board shall pay to the respondent a sum of money equivalent to the current price or cost of the confiscated items.”
In dismissing the appeal, Justice Ntong Ntong ordered the Nigeria Customs Service to obey and comply with the orders of the Court forthwith.CONTINUE FULL READING>>>>>
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