The Lagos Police Command on Friday arraigned three individuals suspected to be affiliated with the Aiye Confraternity, a cult group, for their alleged involvement in the outbreak of violence that occurred in the Iwaya region of the state on May 14.
Tunde Akinyele, Gbolahan Ojelabi, and Charles Onwuka were brought before a Yaba Magistrates’ Court, where they were arraigned under the jurisdiction of Magistrate O.Y. Adefope.
They were charged with four charges each of public fighting, breach of peace, and property damage.
The defendants got into a confrontation with members of an opposing cult group on May 14 around 4am on Onituere Street in the state’s Iwaya region, according to the prosecutor, Haruna Magaji, who testified in court.
According to Magaji, the defendants damaged the front windscreen and side glass of a 2015 Honda Accord with licence plate EPE108HP, a Toyota Camry with licence plate KJA653HA, a Toyota Tundra with licence plate LSR235SM and a Toyota Corolla with licence plate DR500APP during the violence that was let loose in the neighbourhood.
According to Magaji, the offences violated Sections 411, 68(d), 54, 3, and 50 of the Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015 Criminal Laws.
The charge read in part, “That you, Tunde Akinyele, Gbolahan Ojelabi, and Charles Onwuka and others still at large on May 14, 223 around 4am at Onutuere Street, Iwaya, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire to commit felonies to wit; and malicious damage and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 411 of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2015.”
The defendants, however, entered a plea of not guilty to the charges brought against them.
The magistrate, Adefope, released them on bail in the amount of N500,000 with two trustworthy sureties.
But he mandated that they remain in custody until their bail conditions are met.
He put the case back to June 16, 2023.
