Nine suspected hoodlums, who allegedly rained stones and sachets of water at the Olofa's palace, Offa, Kwara State, on the allegation that the Oba prevented them from killing a woman whom they suspected of kidnapping a schoolchild, have been arraigned before an Ilorin Magistrate Court.

The accused and others now at large were said to have beaten the woman to a state of unconsciousness before she was rescued and taken to the Olafa's palace. Irked by the development, the mob assaulted and damaged valuables at the palace.

The accused were brought before the court on a six-count charge of conspiracy, attempt to commit culpable homicide, mischief, assault, disturbance of public peace and obstructing public servant in discharge of duty.

The accused are Jimoh Abu, 20 of Ile Olowa Compound; Azeez Simiyu, 28 of Olofa Compound; Akeem Jimoh, 24 of He Oluse Compound, Usman Nurudeen, 19 of Behind Olofa's Palace and Suuib Gafar, 19 of Gbena Compound.

Others are Lateef Nasiri, 18 of Oja Oba Area; Bello Mudasiru, 25 of Igboro Area; Adebisi Akeem, 30 of Ile Batara Compound and Hamed Mustapher, 22 of Page Street all Offa town.

The accused were arrested by the police at Offa following a distress call at the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Offa Division Police Station by the Olofa of Offa, Oba Mustapha to come for the rescue of a woman from some irate mob.

According to the information, some miscreant had seized one Rashidat Rasaki suspected to be of unsound mind, who lived along Taiwo Road, Offa, on the suspicion that she is a kidnapper.

The accused and others at large allegedly assaulted and took her to Olofa's palace.

Upon the arrival of the DPO and his team at the palace, the accused and others at large allegedly began to throw stones and pure water sachets at them.

Despite the hostile behaviour and attacks by the accused and others at large against the police, the DPO and his team rescued the victim from the Olofa's palace, which did not go down well with the mob as they continue to throw stones at the Olofa's palace.

The miscreants allegedly destroyed the police vehicle used in rescuing the victim and other two vehicles parked at the Olofa's palace, while they threatened to kill the woman.

The police said that the accused and others at large defied all efforts made by the Olofa of Offa to persuade them against taken law into their hands.

Police First Information Report (FIR) on the matter stated that Investigation conducted at the State CID, Ilorin, revealed that the suspected miscreants were apprehended by the police detective through the cooperation of law abiding people in Offa.

The FIR said that the Investigation also revealed that the accused and others at large were the persons that seized the victim and assaulted her to a state of coma before she was rescued.

The FIR added further that the accused were the persons that stoned the DPO of Offa and his team and thereby obstructed the police in the lawful performance of their duty, disturb the public peace of Offa and also destroyed two vehicles parked at the Olofa's palace Kwara State.

The alleged offences contradict Sections 97, 230(a), 327, 265, 113 and 149 of the Penal Code, law of the Federation of Nigeria.

The prosecutor, Inspector David Wodi, who had informed the court that the police still needed two weeks to complete investigation, objected to bail of the accused and urged the court to remand them at prison custody to enable them carry out detailed investigation into the matter.

The prosecutor submitted further that if the accused were admitted to bail, they might jump bail and tamper with the ongoing investigation. More so that one of the alleged offences was not ordinarily bailable.

The defence counsel, Barrister A.S. Salami had prayed the court to release the accused on bail pending trial, submitting that the 1999 Constitution of the Federal republic of Nigeria still presumed them innocent of the allegation until contrary is proved.

Magistrate Wahab Saka agreed with the submission of the defence and admitted the accused to bail each at the sum of N50.000 and two sureties in the same amount.

He stated that one of the sureties must be a civil servant in the Kwara State Civil Service with not less than Grade Level 12, while the accused must be reporting to the Area Commander's Office, Ilorin, every Monday pending otherwise directed.

The case was adjourned to July, 25, 2012 for further mention.

Culled from The Herald Newspaper