BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
A 45-year-old housewife, Yemisi Olajide, has been arrested by men of the Osun State Police Command for allegedly assaulting her brother-in-law alongside two police corporals over a disagreement within the family.
It was learnt that trouble started when Yemisi’s younger sister packed her belongings out of her matrimonial home after an allegation by her husband, Sunday Akanbi, that his wife had carted away his properties from the house.
Yemisi was said to have chased away her in-law (Akanbi) with a threat to attack him and his children if he returned to her house.
Angered by the development, Akanbi reported the matter at a police station in the area, following which a female Police Corporal and one other were asked to effect Yemisi’s arrest.
Upon arriving at Yemisi’s residence in the afternoon of August 14, 2022, the suspect allegedly resisted arrest. She was said to have pounced on Akanbi and a pregnant policewoman beating both of them to a pulp.
Yemisi was later overpowered and dragged to the station. After the conclusion of the investigation, she was charged to a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo for assault and malicious damage.
The charge against her read that “You, Olajide Yemisi, on 14th August, 2022 at about 14:20hours, at Number 15, Oyeyemi Street, Sabo area, Osogbo in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did assault CPL Lawal Muinat by using your first blow to inflict injury on her left cheek and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 355, punishable under Section 351 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“You, Olajide Yemisi, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial district, did maliciously damage Nokia Phone valued at N10, 000 and her cloth valued at N18, 000 being the property of CPL Lawal Muinat and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 451 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume 11 Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“You (defendant) did maliciously damage an Infinix Phone valued at N70,000 and tore clothes valued at N15,000 being the property of one Sunday Akanbi and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 451 of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“You did threaten to kill children of one Sunday Akanbi and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 86 (182) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume Il Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“You did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by beating up CPL Lawal Muinat and Sunday Akanbi at Number 15, Oyeyemi Street, Sabo, Osogbo and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 34, Volume II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.”
Yemisi pleaded not guilty to the allegations. Her counsel, Tunbosun Oladipupo, applied for bail for her client in liberal terms.
Opposing the bail application, Police prosecutor, Inspector Bose Shoyemi, told the court that the victim (a Police Corporal) was in a coma and on admission at the Osogbo Central Hospital, Oke-Baale.
Chief Magistrate Olusola Aluko, who wondered how a punch thrown at one’s cheek could result in a coma, overruled the objection and granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety.
The case was adjourned till October 18 for mention.
