A Wuse Zone 2 Chief Magistrates’ Court on Friday in Abuja granted N500,000 bail to an estate developer, Raymond Ogunshakin, for allegedly destroying someone’s fence.
The Senior Magistrate, Teribo Jim, who granted the bail, also ordered that
Ogunshakin should produce a reasonable surety within the jurisdiction of the court.
Jim also ordered that the surety must be a civil servant and adjourned hearing in the case until Feb. 13, 2017.
The defendant, of Suit B67 of Efab Mall, Area 11, Abuja, is facing a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, criminal mischief, criminal trespass and inciting disturbance.
The prosecutor, Adama Musa, said that on Nov. 26, 2015 Victor Aina of Gwagwalada in the FCT reported the matter at Iddo police station, Abuja, on behalf of Retired DIG Emmanuel Udochi.
He said that the case was later transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), FCT Command.
Musa added that the defendant conspired with others, currently at large, and criminally trespassed into a land at cadastral zone in Kyami district, Abuja, belonging to the complainant.
He said that the defendant and others destroyed the the fence of the said land, claiming that the land belongs to him.
The prosecutor said that the offences contravened sections 97, 348 , 327 and 114 of the Penal Code.
However, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the charges against him and in view of his plea, the prosecutor, urged the court to fix a date for trial.
However, defence counsel Shola Taiwo, through oral application, urged the court to grant the defendant bail, relying on Section 365 of the 1999 Constitution.
However, the prosecutor opposed the application, saying “since the police granted the defendant bail in 2015, the defendant refused to come back to the police after several invitations.
“This time around, the surety had to go to Lagos to bring the defendant to Abuja after the police said they were going to arrest the surety.”
The defence council said the defendant refused to come when the police invited him because the police were abusing him and he filed for violation of fundamental human rights at the FCT High Court.
He said Justice Adeniyi Ademola of FCT High Court had passed judgment restraining the police from arresting, abusing and detaining the defendant which was served to the police.
Meanwhile, the senior magistrate, had granted the defendant bail in the sum of N500,000 with one surety in like sum. (NAN )
