Lagos arraigns immigration officer for alleged assault

Lagos State government, yesterday, arraigned an immigration officer, Umar Mohammed, before a Lagos high court, sitting in Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Igbosere, over an allegation of assault.

The state government had in the charge marked: LD/120518c/2022 alleged that Mohammed unlawfully assaulted his colleague, one Oluwafemi Adeyemi Badiru, by slapping him in his office and causing his nose to bleed.

The alleged assault on Badiru occurred on July 30, 2019, at Nigerian Immigration Service, Ikoyi, Lagos.

One of the counts read: “That you Umar Mohammed on or about July, 30, 2019, at the Nigerian Immigration Office, Ikoyi, Lagos State, in the Lagos Judicial Division did unlawfully assault one Badiru Adeyemi Oluwafemi while executing his lawful official duty.”

The offence is contrary to Section 173, 174 (e) of the Criminal Law Ch. C17, vol. 3 Laws of Lagos State 2015.

Mohammed, who was arraigned before Justice Sherifat Sonaike, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge, preferred against him by the Lagos State government.

After his arraignment, the prosecution, led by Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, sought to open his case, but the defendant’s counsel, Mrs. O. N. Osineye raised an objection.

Martins, then applied to the court for a trial date, which was granted and fixed for June 21, 2023, but the defendant’s counsel, Osineye informed the court that they have a pending bail application.

In his response, Martins told the court that the application is not ripe to be taken, as he was served with the application on Wednesday evening at about 6:00p.m.

Consequently, the matter was adjourned to April 26, 2023, for the hearing of defendant’s bail application.

But, Osineye passionately pleaded with the court to extend the previous bail undertaking she made on behalf of the defendant at the last court date.

She stated that the ground of her passionate plea for the defendant’s bail was for him to attend to his failing health and observe Sallah break.

In response, the DPP left the passionate appeal of the defendant’s counsel to extend the defendant’s previous bail undertaking at the court’s discretion.

However, after hearing the arguments of both counsel, the judge extended the bail undertaking of the defendant and ordered that counsel to the defendant should prepare a new bail undertaking to produce the defendant on June 21, 2023, the next adjourned date.

Justice Sonaike also ordered that the undertaking will be made by two independent sureties, who also will enter into a bail bond of N5 million each and be willing to forfeit the said amount if the defendant fails to appear in court on the next adjourned date.