Kemisola Oye
TWO brothers, Saheed and Yusuf Giwa, as well as Timothy Okeleye, have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Tinubu, Lagos, over alleged conspiracy, forcible entry, willful damage to property and stealing of building materials valued at Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000.00) only.
The two Giwas brother and their alleged co-conspirator were arraigned before the court presided over by Magistrate A. O. Alogba, by the officers of Force Criminal Investigation Department ForceCID Annex Alagbon-Ikoyi Lagos.
The three defendants, according to the prosecutor, Barrister Morufu Animashaun, had, sometime in 2023, allegedly conspired among themselves and stormed SOC Viva 4 Limited, located at Okah Avenue, Redeem Close, Off Emily Akinola Street, Akoka, Lagos.
Animashaun told the court that the three men, and others at large while storming the company, broke the padlock at the entrance of the gate, demolished the security house and stole building materials valued at N10 million belonging to the company.
He told the court that the actions of the three men were contrary to sections 411, 340, 350 and 287 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015, and punishable under the same laws.
The three men, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Upon the defendants’ not guilty plea, the prosecutor asked the court for a trial date, while also praying the court to remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS) pending the conclusion or determination of the cases against them.
But the defendants, through their respective lawyers, urged the court to admit them to bail in the most liberal terms, even as they argued that the charges against them were bailable.
Magistrate Alogba, in his ruling on the bail application, admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00) with two sureties in like sum.
Magistrate Alogba also ordered that the sureties must provide two years of tax payment receipt and an affidavit of means of livelihood.
Magistrate Alogba further ordered that the defendants be remanded at the NCoS facility pending the perfection of their bail conditions, and adjourned till 17 February 2025, for mention
The charges against the defendants read: “That you Timothy Okeleye ‘M’, Saheed Giwa ‘M’, Yusuf Giwa ‘M’ and others (now at large) sometime in the year 2023 at Okah Avenue, Redeem Close, Off Emily Akinola Street, Akoka, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, conspired amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: forcible entry, willful damage to property and stealing and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 411 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
“That you Timothy Okeleye ‘M’, Saheed Giwa ‘M’, Yusuf Giwa ‘M’ and others (now at large) sometime in the year 2023 at Okah Avenue, Redeem Close, Off Emily Akinola Street, Akoka, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, forcefully entered the property of one SOC Viva 4 Limited by breaking the padlock at the entrance of the gate and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 340 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
“That you Timothy Okeleye ‘M’, Saheed Giwa ‘M’, Yusuf Giwa ‘M’ and others (now at large) sometime in the year 2023 at Okah Avenue, Redeem Close, Off Emily Akinola Street, Akoka, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, willfully demolished the security house built by one SOC Viva 4 Limited on the property located at Okah Avenue, Redeem Close, Off Emily Akinola Street, Akoka, Lagos and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 350 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol. 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
“That you Timothy Okeleye “M’, Saheed Giwa ‘M, Yusuf Giwa M’ and others (now at large) sometime in the year 2023 at Okah Avenue, Redeem Close, Off Emily Akinola Street, Akoka, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, stole the building materials valued Ten Million Naira (N10, 000, 000.00) property of one SDC Vive 4 Limited located et Okah Avenus, Redeem Close, Off Emily Akinola Street, Akoka, Lagos and thereby committed an offence Contrary to Section 287 of the Criminal Law, Cap. C17 Vol 3, Laws of Lagos State, 2015”.
Eighteen-Eleven Media