Ladipo Sanusi/
The Inspector-General of Police has arraigned the President of 1004 Residents’ Association, Mr. Tayo Soetan and four other persons before an Igbosere Chief Magistrate’s Court, Lagos, on charges bordering on conspiracy, felony, forceful invasion and conduct likely to breach public peace.
Others charged with 59-year-old Soetan are: Bosun Sosanya, 47, and a 41-year-old lawyer, Adebayo Ademiluyi, Friday Alika, 48, and Abubakar Audu, 28.
The Police in a charge marked G/13/2017, filed before the court on Tuesday, alleged that all the five defendants had sometimes on December 5, 2015, conspired among themselves to commit a felony by forcibly entering into the office of the Managing Director of 1004 Estate Limited, Mr. Samuel Ukpong, and taking over the management of the Estate from him, thereby disrupting the smooth administration of the Estate.
The five defendants and others at large allegedly had an intent to cause a breakdown of law and order and conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace, by forcibly entering the office of Mr Ukpong.
The offences according to the prosecutor, Mr. Paul Ogwuba, are contrary to and punishable under Sections 411, 52, and 166(d)(b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.
All the five defendants pleaded not guilty to the three counts charge.
Upon the not guilty plea, lawyer to the first defendant, Kingsley Ajogun, urged the court to admit their clients bail on self-recognisance.
He said: “The first defendant was invited by the police for interview before he was brought to court for arraignment. He is a Deputy Managing Director of Halogen Security.
“I urged the court to admit him bail on self-recognisance.”
In the same vein, lawyer to the second, third, fourth and fifth defendants, Promise Asipo, urged the court to grant all his clients bail on the same self-recognisance condition.
Asipo told the court that the second defendant a Managing Director of Cashlink Limited Company had been honouring police invitations. He said that the third defendant was a legal practitioner, whose law firm’s name is Adebayo Ademiluyi and Co. with office at 200, Igbosere Road.
He said that the fourth and fifth defendants is an Operations Manager, and a security operative with a security outfit named Tom Salem Integrated Services Limited, situated at 1004 Estate, Victoria Island, Lagos.
He added that if his clients were granted bail on self-recognisance, they would not jump bail.
Responding, the prosecutor, Mr. Ogwuba, urged the court to take judicial notice that the matter was a contentious one. He noted that if the defendants were to be admitted to bail, it should be with the conditions that would ensure their attendance in court.
However, the presiding Chief Magistate, Mr. W. B. Balogun, said that he would grant the third defendant, Adebayo Ademiluyi bail on self-recognisance, because he could easily be apprehended if he jumped bail. The Court ordered the lawyer to write a letter and attach copy of his Bar Certificate, complimentary card and passport photograph.
Other defendants were admitted to bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum.
The matter has been adjourned till April 20 for trial.
It was gathered that the residents of 1004 Estate, under the aegis of Home Owners and Residents Association (HOMA) recently sacked a maintenance committee led by Soetan.
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