Police arraign 4 in Ibadan over alleged demolition of lawyer’s office
BY STEPHEN GBADAMOSI
Four people were arraigned on Monday before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court, Ibadan, over alleged demolition of a building belonging to an Ibadan-based legal practitioner, Olusegun Abayomi.
The defendants, Jubril Amodu, Adekunle Moses, Akintola Olaoluwa and Mustapha Mohammed, all of undisclosed addresses, allegedly demolished the building using Planet Projects Limited’s excavator.
The defendants, and others still at large, allegedly conspired to commit the offence. They are staff members of the firm, Planet Projects Limited.
The property, allegedly destroyed on February 2, was said to be Abayomi’s law office on the Railway landed property at Ago Taylor (Mile 110), Odo-Ona, Ibadan, Oyo State capital.
According to the prosecutor, Sergeant Akeem Akinloye, the defendants faced charges of forceful entry, unlawful demolition, land grabbing, malicious damage, and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
Akinloye alleged that they threatened violence for the purpose of grabbing the real property of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, which was leased to Abayomi.
He said the defendants, in the process of demolishing the law office, assaulted one Oluwatoyin Adegoke and Oluwabamise Dada by slapping, punching and forcefully taking their phones.
He added that the defendants allegedly seized the victims’ phones at gunpoint, demanded their passwords, accessed the devices and deleted video recordings taken during the demolition.
He also alleged that the defendants stole electrical wires, materials and fittings belonging to Abayomi, all valued at over N10 million.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all charges preferred against them.
Thus, the defence counsel, Mr. Ola Olaniyi, prayed the court to grant his clients bail in the most liberal terms.
Akinloye said the offences contravened Section 383 and were punishable under Sections 249(D), 351, 390(9), 451 and 516 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.
He added that the offences also contravened Sections 7 and 9 of the Oyo State Real Properties Protection Law 2016.
Thus, the defence counsel, Mr. Olaniyi, prayed the court to grant his clients bail in the most liberal terms.
Subsequently, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Olabisi Ogunkanmi, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N5 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.
Ogunkanmi said one of the sureties ought to be a property owner, while the second ought to be a blood relative of each defendant.
