Court Jails Four Egba High Chiefs For Breach Of Peace

The four accused persons, who included Soyinka Isiaq, Raufu Bankole, Ayinde Akintoye, and Kamoru Adeniran, were arraigned before the Magistrate Court I in a suit number MA/69C/16 on an eight-count charge bordering on conducts likely to cause a breach of public peace and taking possession of property without the lawful authority of Osile of Egbaland, Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, among others. The accused Egba High Chiefs had, earlier in the year 2014, instituted a case in suit number AB/151/2014 against the Osile of Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Tejuoso, challenging his authority over the disputed Ogboni Fraternity House at Ilugun town in the Odeda Local Government Area of the state. They argued that the royal father had no authority to lock or open the disputed Ogboni Fraternity House. Following the breakdown of law and order in the town, the Chief Magistrate Court presided over by His Lordship A.O. Araba, ordered the closure of the Ogboni Fraternity House in Ilugun, pending the final determination of the suit at the High Court. But the accused persons allegedly engaged the services of three military personnel attached to the special security outfit in the state, ‘OP MESA’, but serving in Ilugun to forcefully gain entry to the disputed building, the Ogboni Fraternity House. This development, however, compelled the police to arrest and re-arraign them in suit number, MA/69C/16, on a six-count charge of conspiracy to commit felony to wit, by breaking into the house said to be contrary to and punishable under the law. While delivering her judgment over the matter, Chief Magistrate A.I. Adelaja sentenced the trio of Soyinka, Akintoye, and Adeniran to one-month imprisonment each without an option of fine. A Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment was obtained by Daily Independent in Abeokuta, Wednesday. The Chief Magistrate held inter alia: “The town has gone through a lot of unprecedented disruption through the year. “I am mindful of the ages of the accused persons, but I must state that they were not mindful of their ages in the conduct of the affairs of the area over which they had control. “Instead of them being the ones trying to aid justice, they seemed to have been the ones aiding criminality. “I am not inclined to give an option of fine as I believe it may not send the best signal to others in the community and Ogun State as a whole, especially I say, our youths who look up to our elders for guidance.” Chief Magistrate Adelaja, however, gave an option of N200, 000 fine while sentencing Bankole to a month imprisonment due to his age and deteriorating health.]]>