Soldier, police clash: Lagos drags dismissed soldier to court

Posted by admin Arewa House, Latest Politics, Nigerian Police Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

Lagos State Solicitor-General, Mr. Lawal Pedro, yesterday, dragged Sunday Ayodeji, 32, the lance corporal who instigated the soldier and police clash at Obanikoro area of Lagos State, to court on a five-count charge.
The dismissed soldier was arraigned in the Ikeja Magistrate Court 1 by the Lagos State Government by the prosecutor, Mr. Lawal Pedro, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).

Ayodeji who looked subdued and sober was brought to court in a task force Hilux bus with the registration number CE 995 FST, handcuffed. The first count charge read: “That you, the above named defendant on 23rd day of June, 2011 at about 8:30am along Ikorodu Road, Obanikoro while driving a Mercedes Benz V-Boot with Reg. No. IK 507 EKY unlawfully assaulted one Utos Jirhevwe, a driver, attached to the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Special Offences Unit and caused him serious harm on the head with iron chain and spanner.

The second count read: “That you, the above named defendant, on the 23rd day of June at about 8:30am procured other soldiers to unlawfully assault one Corporal Yohanna Ishaku, a policeman deployed to the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation and Offences Unit. The third count read: “That you, the above named defendant, on the said day drove a Mercedes Benz V-Boot with Reg. No. IK 507 EKY drove on the BRT corridor.

The fourth count charge also read: “That you, the above named defendant, on the said day while driving your car in a dangerous manner committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 28, Road Traffic Law, Cap. R10, Laws of Lagos State, 2003.”

The fifth count charge read: “That you, the above named defendant, on the said day conducted yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace and punishable under Section 249 (d) Criminal Code Law of Lagos State, 2003 as amended. The embattled Ayodeji pleaded not guilty to count 1, 2, 4 and 5 and pleaded guilty to count 3 and was fined N25,000 which was immediately paid.

The accused was granted bail in the sum of N200,000 and that he must produce two sureties in like sum, residing in Lagos State and must show evidence of tax payment.

According to the solicitor general who spoke with newsmen, the government would pursue the case to logical conclusion, pointing out that the alleged offences committed by the accused could lead to jail term of over three years if found guilty.-Sunwp_posts