BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Police in Osun State have arraigned some family members for allegedly attacking one another with dangerous weapons over a parcel of land. It was gathered that a fiasco had ensued over the family land as some members of the family attacked their kinsmen for allegedly selling it to a retired military officer in Ijebu-Ijesha town of the state.
During the fight that broke out between them, some members were said to have sustained varying degrees of injuries while others went into coma for hours.
A team of policemen was said to have restored order to the area after arresting three members of the family accused of trespassing into the controversial land and also attempting to kill their kinsmen.
Those arrested were Eric Abraham Idowu, aged 50, Sunday Ajisafe kazeem, 51; and Olajide Johnson Oluwaloni, 55. When investigation was concluded, the police took the trio to an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court and charged them with attempted murder, assault, theft, forcible entry and threatening violence.
Police prosecutor, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, John Idoko, informed the court that the defendants committed the offences between January, 2020 and January, 2023 at ijebu-Jesa.
The charge read, “That you Eric Abraham Idowu, Sunday Ajisafe kazeem, and Olajide Johnson Oluwaloni, and others now at large, between the month of January, 2020 and January, 2023, at Ijebu-Jesa, Osun State, triable in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit attempted murder, stealing, forcible entry and threatening violence 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.
“That you Eric Abraham Idowu and others now at large on the same date, time and place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did with intent to kill, unlawfully assault one Daniel Aluko Kayode by pushing him down and he hit his head on the floor which made him unconscious for hours and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 320 of the Criminal Code Cap 34, Vol II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
“That you Eric Abraham Idowu and others now at large, did with intent to kill, unlawfully stab one Michael Adewale Aluko Ajade with broken bottle on his chest and shoulder and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 320 of the Criminal Code Cap 34, Vol II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
“You, Eric Abraham Idowu and others now at large, did with intent to kill, unlawfully assault one Daniel Aluko Kayode by pushing him down and he hit his head on the floor which made him unconscious for hours and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 320 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
“That you Eric Abraham Idowu and others now at large, did steal a certified True Copy of a court judgement delivered by Hon. K. M. Akano in suit number HIL/69/2006 between Mr Adetona Ajade and anor v Lorunda Aleelona and 5 others, property of Daniel Aluko Kayode and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
“That you Eric Abraham Idowu, Sunday Ajisafe kazeem, and Olajide Johnson Oluwaloni, and others now at large on the same date, time and place, did in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace entered one parcel of land situated at Igbo Ofefe, Ijaregbe Road, Ijebu-Ijesa, Osun State, which is in actual and peaceful possession of Daniel Aluko Kayode and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 390(9) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002…”
Idoko further said that the trio willfully and unlawfully destroyed sign posts and corner pieces (boundary mark) belonging to Kayode, stressing that the defendants contravened Section 451 of same law. They pleaded not guilty to the 10-count charge slammed against them.
Their counsels, Kayode Adebisi and Tunbosun Oladipupo, moved their oral bail applications and urged the court to make the bail affordable as there were responsible people to stand their sureties.
However, the prosecutor objected the application on the ground that the defendants would commit similar offence, adding that the victims were still receiving treatment at hospitals. Delivering his ruling on bail, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara granted the trio bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties each in the same amount. Ayilara adjourned the matter till March 2 and directed that the case be mentioned at ijebu-Jesa Magistrate’s Court.
