The police in Lagos have arraigned six persons accused of being involved in the recent violence in the Ajegunle area of the metropolis, before an Apapa Magistrate’s Court.
The accused were arrested by police officers and men attached to the Ajeromi Police Station, led by the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Sunday Digha.
The six accused persons are facing a five-count charge of felony, stealing, malicious damage, unlawful assembly, and breach of peace.
The accused persons, namely; Onaolapo Faruk,18; Abdulaslam Adetoro, 18; Kudus Olawale, 25; Yakubu Abidoye,43; Chuks Bannah,35; and Fabian Akachukwu, were brought into the court on Thursday in handcuffs.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Ben Aigbokhan, told the court that the accused persons and others at large “did conspire among yourselves to commit felony and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
Inspector Aigbokhan said the accused persons and others at large also “did maliciously damage Sienna car, Toyota Previa car, Honda Accord car and Volvo car parked in custody of Wasiu Amusa for repairs, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 350 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
But the counsel to the accused persons, Mr. Bright, argued that the second count charge be expunged from the charge because the names of the owners of the vehicles allegedly damaged were not included.
Bright prayed the court to strike out the second count charge because it was not tenable in law.
According to the third charge, the accused persons and others at large, “did conduct yourselves in manner likely to cause breach of peace by intimidating Moshalasi, Cemetery, Kehinde, Aroworade community and its environs and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 52 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2915.”
The police further said that the accused persons “did steal a generator set, the value of which it has yet to be ascertained, the property of Ojinkweme Richard, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 280 (A) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria,
2015..
The prosecutor also told the court that the accused “did unlawfully assemble together to begin to act in a disorderly manner to cause riot and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 45 (1) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015″.
The five accused persons pleaded not guilty to the five-count charge.
The Magistrate, Mrs. Joy Ugbomoiko, granted them bail in the sum of N50, 000 each.
The court also ordered that each of their sureties should produce three years’ verifiable tax clearance.
The case was adjourned till September 5, 2018.
