Police arraign 21 protesters for damaging train station

Twenty one people have been arraigned afore an Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court for allegedly damaging a building of the Nigeria Railway Corporation.

The defendants were Ahmed Jimoh (32), Sunday Peter (15), Saheed Balogun (30), Felix Asemota (30), Segun Samson (21), Tosin Samson (35), Achor Uche(20), Obineri Ebuka (26), Samuel Obawon-Oba(20), Sunday Ugheruba (42), Marcel Nwagbara (42), Felis Iteghi (26), Adebayo Waheed (30), Musa Kalam (23), Michael Olamide (24), Jonathan Ugoche (38), Nwaoba Promise (25) and Lucky Akpanpa (30), Idris Abidemi (21), Sanya Oyeleke (25), Alis Fatoku(19).

The police verbalized the suspects were apprehended on June 10, around Nigeria Railway Corporation, Agbado Station, protesting the hike in train fares.

The protest, which turned bellicose, led to the eradication of some property of the NRC.

Some touts, who joined in the protest, were verbalized to have additionally looted the station, purloining N358,980 and cash tanks valued at N199, 000.

The police verbalized the mob action was unlawful, and perturbed the placidity of the community.

The 21 suspects were arraigned on three counts of unlawful assembly, glomming and unlawful damage.

The charges read in part, “That you (suspects’ names) and others at sizably voluminous on June 10, 2014 at about 7.25am at Railway Station, Agbado Station, did unlawfully assemble together, acted in a disorderly manner and perturbed the tranquility of the community.

“That you and others at astronomically immense, did willfully and unlawfully damage railway building by breaking all the doors and windows.”

The police prosecutor, Adams Cousin, verbally expressed the offences were penalizable under sections 45, 258 and 349 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.

They pleaded not guilty to the charges and elected summary tribulation.

The Magistrate, Mr. O.A. Komolafe, admitted them to bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties each in like sum.

The matter was adjourned till June 30, 2014.

Copyright PUNCH.