A 27-year-old man, Wasiu Akingbola, has been dragged before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court sitting at Ogba, Lagos over that he assaulted a policeman and set a police station on fire.
Akingbola was arraigned by the State Police Command, on a four-count of assault, arson, inflicting bodily harm and belonging to a secret cult.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Kokoye Olusegun, told the court that the defendant and others still at large committed the alleged offences on May 29, 2023.
The prosecutor claimed that the crime was committed around 3am at the Oregun Police Post in the Oregun Ikeja area of Lagos adding that the defendant, along with about 15 hoodlums belonging to the Supreme Eiye Confraternity instigated the attack on the police post.
He said the defendant, along with his accomplices, demanded the officer on duty, Inspector Eche Emmanuel, to release one Inspector Kabiru for them but when they were told the officer was not stationed at the outpost, the hoodlums beat up the officer on duty, set the police outpost on fire and ran away.
The prosecutor further told the court that Akingbola was arrested at Alausa Police Station for another matter as he was recognised by the officer on duty at the Oregun outpost and the DPO was alerted.
According to him, the offences committed contravened Sections 411, 170, 173/174 (b), 341 (a), and 2(3)(a)(b)(c)(d) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
The defendant’s plea was not taken by the Magistrate, Mrs Sakirat Obasa, who adjourned the case till September 25, 2023, for the Director of Public Prosecution’s advice.
In another news, an Upper Area Court sitting in Kubwa, Abuja, has ordered that a 22-year-old scavenger, Dauda Alhassan, be remanded in the correction centre for alleged criminal trespass and theft.
Judge Yahaya Sheshi adjourned the matter until Aug. 21 for hearing.
The police charged the defendant, who resides in Tipper Garage, Kubwa, Abuja, with criminal conspiracy, trespass, theft and causing hurt which he pleaded not guilty.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Mr John Okpa, told the court that the complainant, Mr Samuel Udama, had reported the matter at Kubwa Police Station on Aug. 4.
Okpa alleged that the defendant trespassed into the complainant’s residence and stole two shoes valued at N17,500, one iron drum cover valued at N5,000 and a cooking stove valued at N6,000.
Other items are one tray pan of N3,500 and a head pan valued at N3,000.
He added that the defendant was chased while he attempted to escape and in the process, he tore the complainant’s jeans trouser and inflicted an injury on him.
The offence contravened the provisions of section 288 of the Penal Code.
Quoting section 288, Okpa said, “Anyone who commits theft in or from a building used as a human dwelling or custody of property, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years or with fine or with both.
The prosecution counsel also drew the attention of the court to the fact that the defendant was of no fixed address and could jump bail if granted.