The police, on Friday, arraigned five persons before the Ado-Ekiti Chief Magistrates’ Court for alleged malicious damage and assault.

The defendants: Aliu Ojo, 40; Ajayi Oluwafemi, 47; Ajayi Akindele, 56; Felix Aliyu, 28; and Owolabi Ojo, 52, are facing a four-count charge bordering on malicious damage, assault, breach of peace and threat to life.

The prosecutor, Insp. Akinwale Oriyomi told the court that the defendants committed the offence on May 5 in the Ipara community along Ijan road in Ado-Ekiti.

He alleged that the defendants maliciously damaged two Infinix phones valued at N200,000 and one power bank valued at N100,000 belonging to one Abdulraheem Osupa-Adinni.

Mr Oriyomi also alleged that the defendants, Messrs Aliu and Aliyu, assaulted one Abdulraheem Sanusi and inflicted injury on him.

He added that Messrs Aliu and Aliyu conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace by attacking Mr Osupa-Adinni with dangerous weapons and inflicting injury on him.

The prosecutor said Mr Aliu allegedly threatened to kill Mr Osupa-Adinni.

He told the court that the defendants were fighting with the complainants over the land dispute issue, saying the defendants went to meet the complainants on the land, resulting in violence.

According to him, the offences contravened sections 249, 186, 249 and 46(1 and 2) of the Criminal Code Cap 16, Vol II Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

The prosecutor asked the court for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file and present his witnesses.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge preferred against them.

Counsel to the first, second and fourth defendants, Olumide Olowolafe and Adunni Olanipekun, for the third and fifth defendants urged the court to grant the defendants bail, with a promise that they would not jump bail.

In his ruling, the chief magistrate, Abayomi Adeosun, granted the defendants N250,000 bail with two sureties each in like sum.

Mr Adeosun said the sureties should provide evidence of three years’ tax clearance.

He adjourned the case until June 5 for a hearing.

(NAN)