A 56-year-old farmer, Roland Adekunle, was on Friday arraigned before the Okitipupa Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ondo for malicious damage to young palm trees valued at N750,000.

The defendant is facing a two-count charge bordering on misdemeanour and malicious damage, to which he pleaded not guilty.

The police prosecutor, Zedekiah Orogbemi, told the court that the defendant and one other, at large, on September 11, 2025, at about 10:00 a.m, conspired to commit a misdemeanour at a plantation along the Okitipupa-Ikoya road, Okitipupa, in Okitipupa Magisterial District.

Mr Orogbemi alleged that the defendant and one other at large forcefully entered a farmland in the possession of one Gbemi Ikuesan and destroyed some young palm trees valued at N750,000 over an undisclosed argument with the owner.

The prosecutor said that the defendant committed the offences contrary to and punishable under Sections 517 and 457 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State, 2006.

The chief magistrate, Olarenwaju Adelegan, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N100,000 and a surety in the like sum.

He ruled that such surety must be resident within the court’s  jurisdiction.

He added that the surety must also present evidence of two years of tax payments made to the state government as part of the bail conditions.

He adjourned the case until February 12 for further hearing.

(NAN)