BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
An undergraduate of one of the Universities in Osun State, Omotola Olorunfemi, aged 22; and four other youngsters have appeared before a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, capital of the state, for allegedly being in possession of a mock gun and Indian hemp.
Other suspects who are males included Akinwale Taofeek Oladele, aged 30; Adelabu Taiwo, 20; Akinwale Ibrahim, 24; and 31-year-old David Ayomide.
The Point gathered that the youths got a toy gun from a kid in their area at Akede, Osogbo, and used black cellotape to redesign it to what the police described as a mock gun.
According to the police prosecutor, Inspector Elisha Olusegun, some dry weeds suspected to be Indian hemp were also found in the possession of the defendants. He said they could not give satisfactory account of how they got the mock gun.
The prosecutor informed the court that the offences were committed on April 13, 2023 at Jagun Onilo Street, Akede Area in Osogbo, adding that the accused persons behaved in a manner that was likely to cause breach of public peace.
The charge read, “That you Akinwale Taofeek Oladele, Adelabu Taiwo, 20, Omotola Olorunfemi, Akinwale Ibrahim, and David Ayomide and others now at large on the 13th day of April, 2023, at about 1000hours, at Jagun Onilo Street, Akede Area, Osogbo, in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did unlawfully have in your possession one mock gun which you could not give satisfactory account of and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 8 and punishable under Section 27 (I) b (ii) of the Forearms Act Cap F 28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“You did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: Unlawful possession of dry weeds suspected to be Indian hemp and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 430 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
“That you did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: Unlawful possession of one mock gun which you could not give satisfactory account 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.
“At the same place and time, you did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of public peace in Osogbo and its environs and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249(d) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.”
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the four counts slammed against them by the police.
Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara ordered the defence counsels, Tunbosun Oladipupo and O. O. Oladele, to approach the court with formal applications for the bail of their clients.
However, Oladele passionately pleaded with the court to grant an oral bail to the university student, saying he had an examination to sit for.
Olorunfemi was granted oral bail while the other defendants were remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre pending their bail.
