A Lagos State High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square has fixed June 6, to decide whether to grant the monarch of Ojokoro land in Ojokoro Local Council Development Area of the State, Oba Rilwan Oluwalambe Taiwo, a bail or not.
The monarch was charged before the court with one Ajoke Olaleye, for malicious damage of a property worth six million naira, N6m.
The monarch, Oluwalambe and Olaleye were arraigned on a three-count charge bordering on malicious damage and stealing, preferred against them by the Inspector General of Police, IGP.
They pleaded not guilty and were released to their counsel who promised that the defendants would always appear for trial pending the determination of their bail application.
At the resumed hearing, counsel for the first defendant, Mr Sampson Ogunkanmi, told the court that he had two pending applications which were a summons for bail and a written address.
He said that in his summons for bail, he had two prayers – an order of court admitting the defendant to bail pending the determination of the case and an order admitting the defendant to bail on the most liberal terms.
He, however, supported the application with 25 paragraph-affidavit.
Mr. Ogunkanmi said that he also filed a written address in support of the motion.
“It is our submission that the defendant will not jump bail. He has been attending proceedings.
“We pray that the court grants the defendant bail,” he said.
The second defendant’s counsel, Mr. Micheal Akinwole, also made a similar application urging the court to grant bail to his client.
The Prosecution counsel, Mr. Williams Tijan, in his reply, said he filed counter affidavits and written addresses to the applications of the two defendants.
He adopted all the paragraphs of his written addresses as his submission.
Justice Yetunde Adesanya, however, said that she has other matters which would not enable her to continue with the hearing.
She, therefore, adjourned the hearing until June for a ruling on the bail applications.
During the arraignment, the prosecution informed the court that the defendants committed the alleged offences on Nov. 14, 2020, at Ijaye Ojokoro, Lagos.
According to the charge, the defendants and others at large maliciously damaged a two-unit of three-bedroom structure which was already constructed up to the lintel level.
It stated that the damaged building was valued at N6 million which belonged to one Mr Collins Akeredolu.
It also stated that the defendants stole Iron rods, two bundles of binding wire, 2000 pieces of molded blocks, 200 bags of cement, and 80 pieces of roofing sheets.
Other items stolen included three bags of four-inch nails and one bag of three-inch nails, noting that all items stolen were valued at N10.1 million, property of Mr. Collins Akeredolu.
It stated that the offences contravened Sections 287, 350, and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
