Arson: Osun Monarch, 4 Others Sent To Prison After Failing To Perfect Bail Conditions

Five persons, including a monarch, Elegbedi of Egbedi in Osun State, Oba Muideen Azeez alongside were on Thursday taken to Ife Correctional Centre over alleged arson and destruction of farm and crops worth N200m.

The five people were remanded after failing to meet up with the deadline for the perfection of their bail conditions giving to them by the state High Court sitting in Ede.

The other defendants are Akibu Abioye, Yisa Akolapo, Rasidi Ayandiran and Sarafadeen Abioye.

Justice Kudirat Akano had earlier during today’s proceedings granted the five persons bail in the sum of N5m with two sureties each.

While the first category of the sureties must be level 16 civil servant with landed property within the court jurisdiction, the other sureties are part 2 monarchs.

But they couldn’t perfect the bail as at 2:10 p.m when officers of the correctional centre drove them out of the court premises.

It would be recalled that t the defendant were arraigned on June 27, 2024, on 29 counts of arson, destruction of farmland, illegal possession of firearms and robbery.

The details of the offences allegedly committed by the defendants as contained in the sheet partially read, “Oba Muideen Olanivi Azeez (A.k.a Asemalu,) Akeeb Azeez Abioye, Yisa Surajudeen Akolapo (A.k.a. Kola Isah), Rasidi Ayandiran, Sarafadeen Abioye and others at large, on or about September 3, 2019, at a farm in Oloba within the Ede Judicial Division, while armed with firearms and offensive weapons, robbed Wasilatu Akinola and other women processing palm oil with her of about 70 kegs of palm oil, palm kernel, palm fruits, goats and other domestic animals valued at about N10m, and at, or immediately before or immediately after the time of the robbery did use personal violence to the said Wasilatu Akinola and other women with her.

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The offences committed were said to be contrary to Sections 402, 403A, 443, 2(1), 249(1) of the State Criminal Law 2002.

But they all pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Meanwhile, one of the four witnesses called during today’s hearing, Mustafa Waheed, while being led by the prosecution counsel, Abiodun Badiora from the state Ministry of Justice, narrated how the monarch allegedly assaulted him.

Waheed, an indigine of Iloba in Egbedore Local Government of the state, said Elegbedi assaulted him for bringing policemen to arrest him after he allegedly attacked and destroyed their farm.

He told the court that, “In 2019 September, my wife called me around 11:00 a.m after I home for work that some thugs have attacked Iloba and have destroyed our farm land and some machines and equipment used in processing palm oil.

“I went to inform the Police in Dada Estate and they followed me to Iloba. When we got there, I saw that they’ve destroyed the farmland.

“I took the police to where the king and his people were, on getting there, the king and his people attacked us.

“It was the King who slapped me and cut me with cutlass. He said I had the efforntary to bring police officers to arrest him.”

Justice Akano adjourned the case till October 16 for continuation of hearing.