Police arraign six over alleged riot, damage of property in Ekiti

• Officers recount ordeals at a panel of inquiry sitting
• Banks shut-in Ikere-Ekiti over police absence

Police in Ekiti State, yesterday, arraigned six middle-aged persons at Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court on a three-count charge of the alleged conspiracy, illegal assembly, and riot.

Those arraigned included Adebayo Temitope, 32; Ibrahim Musau, 25; Eze Oluwabunmi, 32; Ogunlusi Abiodun, 20; Arowosegbe Esther, 17 and Peter Joy, 21.

The Police Prosecutor, Mr. Caleb Leranmo, told the court that the defendants committed the offence on October 20 at about noon in Ikole-Ekiti.

Leranmo said the defendants on the same date maliciously damaged Ikole Local Council Secretariat building, windows, and windscreen of five vehicles, all property of the Ekiti State government.

He added that the defendants also unlawfully assembled in riotous manner, which brought fear to the people of the council.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the offences. Their counsel, Mr. Gbenga Ariyibi and Victoria Adelu, prayed the court to grant them bail in liberal terms, saying that they were implicated.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr. Abdulhamid Lawal, who granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100,000 with one surety each and verifiable home addresses, adjourned the matter till December 9, 2020, for mention.

MEANWHILE, Inspector Yakubu Aminu, and Sergeant Adesina Kolawole of Afao Divisional Police Station, Ikere-Ekiti, yesterday, recounted their ordeals during the EndSARS protests in the state when they appeared before the judicial panel of inquiry into allegation of human rights violation against police officers.

Aminu claimed that his car, which had valuable documents inside, was totally burnt down during the attack, while Kolawole said that his Golf 3 car was attacked by the hoodlums.

However, there was a mild drama at the sitting as it was discovered that the particulars of the vehicles of the policemen had expired since 2013 and 2012 respectively.

Chairman of the panel, Justice Cornelius Akintayo, said: “As law enforcement agents, why will you be going about with expired documents, including your particulars.”

“Looking at the vehicle particulars presented before the panel, they were the photocopies. None of you submitted originals and no driver’s licence and you claimed to be law enforcement agents arresting people who do not have driver’s license.”

IN another development, banks in Ikere-Ekiti have shut down over alleged police absence due to the burning of three stations and operational vehicles located in the town.

The banks were said to have shut down their offices due to fear of robbery attack or invasion by hoodlums.

While a resident of the town told The Guardian that people of the community now rely on men of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) to secure themselves, the traditional ruler of the town, Oba Adejimi Adu, rained curses on the arsonists that burnt down property in the town.