The police on Tuesday arraigned six people in an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, for allegedly invading a shrine and beating up a traditional chief.
The police charged Jelili Atiku, 51, a popular performance artist; Mosuru Saula, 49; Hassan Nasiru, 42; Mukaila Imakiyo, 52; Nureni Saila, 45 and Jemilat Kazeem, 56, female with conspiracy, breach of peace, arming self with dangerous weapons and threat to life.
The Prosecutor, Inspector Aondohemba Koti, told the court the defendants, who reside in Ejigbo, Lagos, committed the offence in April at Moshalasi Street, Ejigbo, Lagos, the Police
He said that the defendants and others at large, conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by invading the shrine with dangerous weapons and assaulted a chief, Giwa Lamoru.
“The defendants who invaded the shrine with cutlasses, iron rods, charms, planks, bottles among other weapons, beat up the chief of Ejigbo Land.”
Koti said that the defendants chased away the traditional ruler, priests and worshippers and locked up the entrance and doors of the shrine.
“The defendants constituted nuisance by removing the ‘Yemoja’ Sacred Staff from where it was placed and put it at the frontage of the shrine which is prohibited.”
The prosecutor said that the defendants attacked the palace when a date to celebrate the traditional festival of Ejigbo land called Omo-agbo was announced.
“The defendants claimed that the king currently on the throne, was not the right person and that the festival will not hold,” the prosecutor said
The offence, he added, contravened the provisions of sections 56, 168, 170 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 56 prescribes one year jail term for threatening violence while section 411 attracts two years for conspiracy.
Following their pleas of not guilty, Magistrate Mrs M.O Tanimola, admitted them to bail in the sum of N100,000 each with one surety each in like sum.
Tanimola ordered that all the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.
She adjourned the matter until May 20 . (NAN)