On Monday, the Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court discharged and acquitted a former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Ropo Adesanya, and four others standing trial in a case of conspiracy and breach of peace.

The defendants, James Dada, 49; Jegede James, 65; Jegede Ebenezer, 72; Matthew Fabamise, 65; and Oluwaropo Adesanya, 67, were arraigned before Magistrate A.O. Adeosun on September 4, 2023, on a three-count charge of conspiracy, threatening violence and breach of peace.

Delivering judgement, Mr Adeosun held that “the prosecution has not adduced evidence to link the defendants with the commission of the offences in counts II and III, while count I, which borders on conspiracy, also fails.

“On the whole, after careful and most anxious consideration of the evidence, I have come to the conclusion that the prosecution has failed to discharge the onus placed on them.

“Consequently, each defendant is hereby discharged and acquitted on counts I, II and III,” the judge ruled.

The prosecutor, ASP Johnson Okunade, had told the court that the defendants committed the offences on April 21, 2023, at about 7:00 p.m. in Ijan-Ekiti.

He said that the defendants conspired among themselves to commit a felony.

Mr Okunade said that a case of threatened violence against the complainant, Major Olajide Ijadare, was reported at the station, while the defendants also conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.

According to him, the offences contravene Sections 421, 69 and 181(1)(d) of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2021.

The complainant, in his testimony, said, “I know the defendants very well; we were born together at Ikesan, but they ganged and conspired against me because of a traditional installation.

“They lured the fourth defendant and James Dada when we wanted to install Oba Orun. The second and third defendants, however, mobilised their sons with dangerous weapons, money, guns, illicit drugs and hard liquor.

“The defendants incited their sons to burn tyres at the venue of the installation ceremony, apparently to ensure that the installation did not hold.

“They also broke bottles and carried cutlasses, shouting that they would shed blood if we went ahead to perform the installation.

“They threatened to kill me and cut my head. As a result of this, I invited my security officer to put a call to the Nigerian military men around to come to our aid in order to prevent a breakdown of law and order,” he stated.

The prosecution called five witnesses and said that the defendants did not offer any evidence in their defence.

They, however, made a statement denying committing the offences levelled against them. 

(NAN)