70-year-old man, 2 sons jailed for felony, theft

Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti

An Igede-Ekiti Magistrate’s Court in Ekiti state on Wednesday sentenced a 70-year-old man, Adeyeye Olorunyomi, and his two sons to six months imprisonment for conspiring among themselves to commit felony.

The septuagenarian and his sons, Akindele Olorunyomi (30) and Ojo Olorunyomi (36) were arraigned on a six-count charge of forcibly
entering a farm belonging to one Oluwadare Olowookere and Adekunle Olowookere.

According to the police prosecutor, Sergeant Olubu Apata, the offence was committed in the town on February 25- 27, 2019, adding that the accused persons stole three timber of trees valued at N100, 000 belonging to the complainants.

The prosecutor added that the defendants also obstructed police officers from arresting them after a complaint was lodged against them at the Igede Ekiti Police Station.

He said that the accused persons also conducted themselves in a manner likely
to cause a breach of the peace by marking 28 timber woods with cutlass in the farmland of the complainants.

Apata further said that the convicts did unlawfully damage the economic trees such as cocoa trees, kola nut trees, banana trees and cocoa yam trees belonging to the complainants.

When the charge was read to them, the defendants pleaded not and thereafter, the matter proceeded to trial.

The prosecutor noted that the offences contravened Section 516, 81, 390, 356 (2), 249 (d) and 451 of the Criminal Code of Ekiti state 2012, adding that the defendants claimed that the land was given to the complainants by their great grandfather while the complainants countered their claim by saying the land has been in their possession for over 100 years.

The Magistrate, Mrs. Adesola Omotoso, sentenced each of the accused persons on count one, two and three to six month imprisonment while they were discharged on count four, five and six.

Omotoso therefore, sentenced them to six months imprisonment to run concurrently without an option of fine.