On Monday, an Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure, the state capital, sentenced a self-styled traditional ruler and spiritual leader of the Ayetoro community in the oil-rich Ilaje local government area of the state, Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, to two years in prison for breach of peace.
The Presiding Judge, Justice David Kolawole, found Ojagbohunmi and five others guilty of orchestrating the violence that erupted in the coastal community on January 11, 2018.
The six people, who include Victor Akinluwa, Isaac Ikuyelorimi, Lawrence Lemamu, George Eyekole, and Segun Okenla, were found guilty of the three 10-count charges preferred against them by the offices of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
The convicts, Ojagbohumi, Akinluwa, Ikuyelorimi, Lemamu, Eyekole, and Okenla, were accused of conspiring to commit a felony to wit: malicious property damage, which is in contravention of Section 451 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
They were also accused of robbing Temitope Olowodasa of a sum of N270,000.00 in his house, and at the time of the robbery, they were armed with offensive weapons, namely guns and cutlasses, contrary to Section 1(2)(a) and (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap R11, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
The convicts and others at large were accused of robbing Igoli Akinlana of four Industrial Sewing Machines valued at N800,000, four Plasma TVs valued at N448,000.00 and a cash sum of N635,000.00 in his house At the time of the robbery, they were armed with firearms and offensive weapons such as guns, cutlasses, axes and others
One of the convicts, Eyekole, was accused of attempting to murder one Olu Obolo by shooting him with a gun, contrary to Section 320 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
The prosecuting counsel, Mr Babatunde Falodun, told the court that Ojagbohunmi and others were brought before the court over violence that happened in Ayetoro in January 2018, among other charges.
Reading the charges: “That you, Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi, Victor Akinluwa, Isaac Ikuyelorimi, Lawrence Lemamu, George Eyekole, and Segun Okenla, on or about the 11th of January, 2018 around 9.00 a.m. at Aiyetoro community, Ilaje Local Government in the Okitipupa Judicial Division, conspired with others now at large to commit a felony to wit: Armed Robbery.”
“Oluwambe Ojagbohumi, Victor Akinluwa, Isaac Ikuyelorimi, Lawrence Lemamu, George Eyekole, Segun Okenla, and others now at large on or about the 11th of January, 2018 around 5.30 a.m. at Aiyetoro Community, Ilaje Local Government in the Okitipupa Judicial Division did rob Ashogbon Omowale in his house of his laptop and a sum of N380.000.00, and at the time of the robbery you were armed with offensive weapons to wit: guns and cutlasses.”
All the suspects pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them, but the court found them guilty and convicted them of malicious damage to property, contrary to Section 37 of the Criminal Code and the laws of the state.
While Justice Kolawole discharged and acquitted the convicts of armed robbery conspiracy, he gave an option of fine for counts six, seven and eight that related to malicious damage to property
He, however, sentenced Eyekole to five years in prison with hard labour for the attempted murder of Obolo in the Ayetoro community.
The convicts were to pay N300,000 each as a value for the damaged properties and N50,000 as an option of a fine for the offences committed by the convicts.
The judge, however, ordered that the convicts sign a memorandum of understanding to maintain peace in the community.
Justice Kolawole said the convicts would be held responsible for any breach of peace in the community if they opted to pay the fine, saying the fine would be returned in case of a violation of the peace accord.
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