Court Sentences Two Men to Seven Years for Giving False Information

An Ogun State Magistrate Court sitting in Ota, has convicted and sentenced two men, Ajayi Sheriff and Lateef Owolola, to four and half years imprisonment for giving false statements to the police.

The convicts, Ajayi and Sheriff, were sentenced by Chief Magistrate O. L. Oke, after finding them guilty of the charge filed against them by men of Force Criminal Investigation Department (Force CID) Annex, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos.

Their offences border on conspiracy, making false statements and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace.

The prosecution counsel, Mr. Morufu Animashaun, had told the court during arraignment that the convicts and others, now at large, had sometimes in August 2017, at about 11:30a.m, in Gbeniga lju Ebiye, lju Ota, Ogun State, conspired among themselves and made false statement at the General Investigation Section of Force CID Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos.

He said that the convicts made false statements against the trio of Lukmon Ajayi Oje, Rasheed Balogun and Fatahi Omoledunmi.

Animashaun also told the court that the duo (Sheriff and Owolola), brought armed thugs and hoodlums to unleash terror in Gbeniga Ebiye Community and conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of public peace.

He said their offences were contrary to Sections 517, 125(A) and 249(d) of the Criminal Law Cap 29 Vol.1 of the Revised Criminal Law of Ogun State, 2006.

The convicts had denied the allegations, pleaded not guilty to the charge and were granted bail in various terms and trial commenced.

While delivering judgment, Chief Magistrate Oke established the guilt of the two suspects in all the offences made against them by the police.

He held that the prosecution had successfully proved each of the counts against the convicts beyond every reasonable doubt, and therefore, convicted them, accordingly.

In his mercy plea, the convicts’ counsel, Mr. A. S. Popoola, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy in sentencing his clients.

Chief Magistrate Oke, after listening to both parties, sentenced each of them to six months imprisonment without an option of fine on the conspiracy charge and sentenced them to one year imprisonment on count two, three, four and five.

The court, however, ordered the convicts to pay the sum of N150, 000, fine for each of counts two, three, four and five as an option.

The magistrate also ordered that the jail terms shall run consecutively.