A 27-year-old man, Wasiu Akingbola bas been docked at an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly assaulting a policeman and setting a police station on fire.
The Lagos State Police Command, arraigned him on Thursday, on four-count charge of assault, arson, inflicting bodily harm and belonging to a secret cult.
Akingbola pleadd not guilty to the charges.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Kokoye Olusegun, told the court that the defendant and others still at large committed the alleged offences around 3am at the Oregun Police Post in the Oregun Ikeja area of Lagos.
According to him, Akingbola 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.
Olusegun said the offences are in contravention of 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.
Meanwhile in other news…
It was reported that three men were arrested and charged to court for allegedly abducting a police Inspector Shola Akindeko, while in the course carrying out his duties.
The suspects, Olayinka Idowu, 39; Caleb Saviour, 45; and Andrew Ogoh, 36 were arraigned before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court sitting at Ogba area of Lagos State on Thursday.
They were said to have allegedly abducted the officer at night and took him to an unknown destination where he was assaulted.
The prosecutor, Inspector Josephine Ikhayyera told the court that one of the suspects, Idowu, destroyed Akindeko’s iPhone XR, valued at N185,000.
Idowu, Saviour and Ogoh were charged with three-counts bordering on committing a felony, assault occasioning harm and cause of breach of public peace.
According to the police, the offence is punishable under Sections 411, 168(D) and 350 of the Criminal laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
The charge read; “That you, Olayinka Idowu, Caleb Saviour and Andrew Ogoh on April 3, 2023, around 8.30pm at BRT Garage Awori U-turn, Abule-Egba in the Ikeja Magisterial District did commit felony to wit assault occasioning harm and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
“That you, Olayinka Idowu, Caleb Saviour and Andrew Ogoh, on April 3, 2023, around 8.30pm at BRT Garage Awori U-turn, Abule-Egba in the Ikeja Magisterial District did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by forcefully taking an officer to an unknown destination and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 168(D) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
“That you, Olayinka Idowu, on the same date, time and place at the aforementioned Magisterial District did wilfully damage iPhone XR valued at N185,000 property of Inspector Shola Akindeko and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 350 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”
