THE trial of three men for the violence at Igbolomu Village in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, last December, was stalled yesterday because of the absence of the magistrate.
Gbenga Saheed, 40, and his brother, Tolowashe, 37, were alleged to have conducted themselves violently and imposed Babatunde Arowosegbe, 75, as the Baale of Igbolomu.
The siblings were first arraigned on January 2, before Magistrate LO Kazeem on five counts of conspiracy, malicious damage, breach of the public peace and obstruction of lawful duty under Sections 350, 255, 174 (b), 56 and 168(d) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2015.
Aworosegbe, who was at large, was eventually arrested and arraigned on February 7, on a four-count charge of conspiracy, self-imposition, violently unseating the Baale and impersonation under Sections 350, 56, 168(d) and 382 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos, 2015.
At the last hearing, prosecuting Inspector Philip Osijale told the court that the defendants committed the offence on December 29, at about 2pm, at Igbolomu Village.
He said the defendants, without lawful authority, used threat and violence to impose Arowosegbe as Baale.
The defendants, Osijale said, obstructed some policemen from doing their duty, adding that they conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause a breah of the public peace when they pasted posters of Aworosegbe, declaring him as the Baale.
He said they damaged the windscreen of a Honda Civic Car marked BWR31KM, belonging to one Mr. Folly, used to convey policemen to the defendants’ residents to serve them invitation letters.
The defendants pleaded not guilty and were granted N300,000 bail with two sureties each in the like sum.