By Adeyinka Adeniran
Officers of the Oyo State Police Command on Tuesday, arraigned a councilor, Seriki Idris and two others before an Iyaganku Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan over alleged illegal land grabbing and encroachment.
Seriki, a councilor representing Ward 8, Onireke, Ibadan, Southwest Local Government Area of Oyo state, was arraigned along Adebayo Lateef, 25 and Jimoh Lateef, 30.
They were arraigned for allegedly grabbing and encroaching on a property belonging to an Ibadan-based Lawyer, Mr Olusegun Abayomi.
The defendants were charged on allegations of conspiracy, stealing, assault, damage, land grabbing, illegal encroachment and breach of peace, to which they all pleaded not guilty.
The Prosecutor, Sgt. Akeem Akinloye told the court that the defendants and others at large allegedly conspired together to commit the offence.
Akinloye alleged that the defendants on February 2, forcefully and illegally encroached the real property of Nigerian Railway Corporation leased to a lawyer, Mr Olusegun Abayomi.
He alleged that the defendants threatened violence for the purpose of grabbing the land, and damaged the property.
“The defendants allegedly assaulted one Oluwatoyin Adegoke Esq by slapping, punching and pointed gun at her.
“The defendants allegedly stole electrical wire, fittings and other electrical materials valued at over N10 million, property of Abayomi”, he said.
Akinloye further alleged that the defendants also stole several lengths of rails, associated fittings, steel sleepers, signals and telecommunication poles being property of Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC).
He added that the defendants conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by preventing Abayomi from entering his property, an offence committed at Railway landed property, Ago – Tailor (Mile 110) area, Odo – Ona, Ibadan.
He said that the offence contravene the provisions of Section 383 and punishable under Sections, 249 (D) 390 (9), 351, 451 and 516 of the Criminal Code Laws of Oyo State 2000.
Akinloye said the offence also contravene Sections 7 and 9 of Oyo State Nigeria Real Properties Protection Law 2016.
The Defence counsel, Mr Martin Achugbue, asked for defendants’ bail in liberal terms.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Olabisi Ogunkanmi, admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N7.5million each, with two sureties each in like sum.
Ogunkanmi said one of the sureties must be a landed property owner with Certificate of Occupancy and Survey, while the other must be a blood relative to each of the defendants.
She, thereafter, adjourned the matter until April 16, for hearing.
