A father and his son have appeared before an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court over alleged attempt to seize a landed property at Owode in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, belonging to the family of one Mr. Bako.
The suspects, Chief Yahaya Hassan and Olaleken Hassan, were arraigned before Magistrate Mrs. Binusope.
Yahaha Hassan, 65, and his son, Olalekan Hassan, 35, with others still at large, had some time last year allegedly stormed the Bako family’s landed property situated at Owode in Ikorodu to disrupt ongoing construction activities.
The Prosecutor, Mr. O. Idowu, argued that the defendants “forcefully stormed the landed property with dangerous weapons to unleash terror on the workers.”
Idowu stressed that following the threats of the workers by the defendants, they were forced to abandon the construction works they were doing.
Both father and son were arraigned on a four-count charge bearing on conspiracy to commit felony, malicious damage and threat to life.
The prosecutor submitted on count one that the defendants conspired among themselves to commit felony and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
On count two, Idowu said the “Defendants and others still at large, on the same date, time and place, did conduct themselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace by entering into the landed property with violence such as cutlass, machete and other dangerous weapons and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 52 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
On count three, the prosecutor said, “Yahaya Hassan and Olalekan Hassan, on the same day at the site, assaulted one Wale Ishola by causing him grievous bodily harm contrary to Section 245/246 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.”
He further stated on count four that “both defendants and other accomplices did willfully and unlawfully damaged banners, office equipment and other properties of the Bako family and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 350 of the Criminal Law of Lagos
State, 2015.”
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
In her ruling, Magistrate Binusope granted N500,000 bail to each of the defendants with two sureties in like sum.
The case was adjourned to March 27.