The police command in Ekiti state has arraigned a 38-year-old man, Bello Alaba, before an Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court for alleged double-dealing on land.
The defendant of no fixed address is standing trial on a charge of double-dealing on land.
The police prosecutor, Inspector
Oriyomi Akinwale told the court that the defendant and others at large committed the offence on October 20 at Ulero farmland in Ado-Ekiti.
He alleged that the defendant and others at large sold a plot of land to one Yakubu Bamidele and seven plots of land to others yet to be identified.
He said the land has been previously sold to one Major Sunday Adewunmi by the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, Oba Rufus Adejugbe.
Akinwale said that the defendant and others at large sold the land without a court judgment repudiating the earlier sale.
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According to him, the offence contravened section 9(3) and punishable under section 9(4) of Ekiti State Property Protection (Anti Land Grabbing ) Law 2019.
The prosecutor asked the court for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file and present his witnesses.
The defendant pleaded not guilty.
His counsel, Mr Tayo Oloruntola, urged the court to grant him bail, with a promise that he would not jump bail.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Adesoji Adegboye, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Adegboye adjourned the case until November 20 for hearing.
