NO fewer than 43 persons were arraigned at the Ikeja Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday for offences they allegedly committed in some parts of Lagos during last week’s protests against the removal of subsidy on fuel.
Ten of them were arraigned for conspiracy and engaging in conducts likely to cause breach of the peace at Ijaiye and Iyana Ipaja area of the state.
One of the two counts partly reads that the accused “did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 249 (d) of the Criminal Code Cap C17, Vol. II Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2003.”
They were said to have been arrested at about 1.40pm on January 13.
Some of the accused are Jamiu Oyewole (32), Jubril Wasiu (24), Bola Shinabola (26), Suraju Yakubu (25), Adekunle Yusuf (25) and Kamorudeen Owolabi (27).
However, the defence lawyers urged the court to strike out the charge, describing it as frivolous.
One of the defence lawyers, Mr. Imonighara Ese, said many of the accused persons, who he claimed did not participate in the protests, were arrested in front of their houses and that others were arrested while returning from where they went to play football.
Ese said, “Some of them were arrested in front of their houses. They were arrested and they have been kept in custody since Friday. We know that when the court looks into the charge, your honour will find out that the charge is frivolous.”
Another set of 10 persons were arraigned for six counts of offences said to have been committed at 7Up under Ijora Bridge on January 10 at about 12.10pm.
The offences the accused persons allegedly committed included breach of peace, unlawful assembly, carrying of three cutlasses and other offensive weapons in the public and causing panic for members of the public.
Also arrainged for armed robbery before Magistrate Omoyele was Lateef Ishola, 25.
He was said to have on January 11 robbed two persons of property including two phones and total sum of N50,000 on Ojota Bridge.
Another set of 22 accused persons were arraigned for armed robbery. They allegedly broke into Ojo Local Government secretariat, where they were said to have stolen various sets of office equipment on January 11.