Four Arraigned In Ibadan Over Alleged Demolition Of Lawyer’s Office
•By OYENIYI AWOJOODU
IBADAN — FOUR persons were on Monday arraigned before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan over the alleged demolition of a building belonging to an Ibadan-based legal practitioner, Mr. Olusegun Abayomi.
The defendants — Jubril Amodu, Adekunle Moses, Akintola Olaoluwa and Mustapha Mohammed whose addresses were not disclosed, were accused of demolishing the building using an excavator belonging to Planet Projects Limited.
The property allegedly destroyed on February 2 is said to be Abayomi’s law office located on a railway landed property at Ago Taylor, Ibadan.
According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Akeem Akinloye, the defendants are facing charges bordering on forceful entry, unlawful demolition, land grabbing, malicious damage and conduct likely to cause a breach of peace.
Akinloye told the court that the defendants allegedly threatened violence with the intention of taking over the property belonging to the Nigerian Railway Corporation, which had been leased to Abayomi.
He further alleged that while carrying out the demolition, the defendants assaulted two individuals, Oluwatoyin Adegoke and Oluwabamise Dada, by slapping and punching them, while also forcefully taking their mobile phones.
The prosecutor added that the defendants allegedly stole electrical wires, materials and fittings belonging to Abayomi valued at over N10 million.
According to him, the offences contravene Section 383 and are 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 violate Sections 7 and 9 of the Oyo State Real Properties Protection Law, 2016.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Following their plea, defence counsel Mr. Ola Olaniyi urged the court to grant his clients bail in liberal terms.
In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Olabisi Ogunkanmi, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N5 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.
Ogunkanmi added that one of the sureties must be a property owner, while the second must be a blood relative of each of the defendants.
The case was subsequently adjourned to a later date for further hearing.