The office of the Inspector General of Police at Zone XI in Osun State has arraigned three men before a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo for allegedly grabbing a vast expanse of land that belongs to the state government.
According to the police, the defendants, including a 51-year-old man, Oladapo Moruf, Adeyinka Mustapha, aged 50 and Kasali Akeem, 31, also abducted and illegally imprisoned an Osun State Government surveyor who visited the land being used as farm settlement for official duties.
They were said to have been heavily armed with guns and other dangerous weapons before committing the alleged offences.
Slammed with a six-count charge of kidnapping, illegal possession of firearms, breach of public peace, forceful entry and land grabbing, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the count charges as their lawyer, Dayo Adegbola made an oral bail application for them in most liberal terms.
A prosecuting counsel from the Osun State Ministry of Justice, Moses Faremi, accused the three men of committing the offences on April 25, 2025 at Agric Oke-Osun Osogbo.
He explained that the defendants conspired among themselves to commit felony to wit kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms, forcible entry, land grabbing and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace, adding that they unlawfully imprisoned one Alabi Oyebode who is a surveyor under Osun State without his consent.
Some of the charges against the defendants read, “That you Oladapo Moruf, Adeyinka Mustapha, Kasali Akeem and other now at large on the 25th April, 2025 at Agric Okeosun Osogbo in the Osogbo Magisterial district did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit Kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearm, forcible enter, land grabbing and conduct likely and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. II laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“You did unlawfully imprison one Alabi Oyebode that is a surveyor under the state government of Osun State without his consent and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 364(1) of the Criminal Code Cap. 34 Vol.II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“On the same date, place and at the aforementioned magisterial district did unlawfully have in your possession one beretta pistol gun without licence or authority and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 4 and punishable under Section 27(1)(b)(i) of the Firearms Act Cap F.28 laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.
“That you did encroach into the Osun State Government Land property and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 8 of the Osun State Forceful Entry and Illegal Occupation of Landed Properties (Prohibition) Law, 2019.”
After the defendants pleaded not guilty and their counsel applied for bail, Faremi opposed the bail application, stating that they were armed when they were arrested and had tendencies to jump bail.
Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara then ordered that they should be remanded in the Correctional facility and adjourned the matter till May 30 for ruling on formal bail application.