Dismissed Cop Jailed For 5 years over land speculation
An Ota Chief Magistrates’ Court, in Ogun State, has convicted and sentenced a dismissed police officer, Joseph Ayodele, who specialised in land speculation to five years imprisonment.
Chief Magistrate Olakoleyin Oke, handed down the verdict after he found Ayodele guilty of the four-count charge of conspiracy, breach of the public peace, intimidation and forcible entry into the land, brought against him by the police.
The police prosecutor, Inspector Grace Adebayo, had told the court that the convict was the leader of a land grabbing syndicate (Omo Onile) who attacked policemen, snatched their guns and handcuffs and took them away, at a construction site in Kajola, Atan-Ota, Ado Odo/Ota local government area, Ogun State.
Adebayo had also accused the convict of inducing fear in the complainants, Chief Wasiu Amoo Dada, Sunday Dada, and Samuel Olugbenga Dada after entering their land.
The convict was charged before the court alongside one Adejare Lawal, also known as playBoy, Kamolu a.k.a eye, Deji, a.ka Sugbegbe and Saliu Falola, a.k.a Maja, all still at large.
The dismissed police officer and others were alleged to have committed the offence on September 2, 2017.
The prosecutor had maintained that the offences contravened sections 517, 81, 20(1) and 19 (1) of the violence against persons (prohibition) laws of Ogun State, 2017.
He had pleaded not guilty when the charge was read to him by the court’s registrar.
During the trial, the prosecutor called three witnesses and the defendant testified for himself and also called two witnesses.
The magistrate in his judgment held, “The convict along with others now still at large repeatedly terrorised people who were in peaceful and actual possession of their property under a judgment of a competent court of law.
Source:leadership
