31st March, 2011
Police prosecuting counsel from the Legal Section of the Force Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigeria Police, Alagbon, Lagos, has so far arraigned two out of three brothers recommended for prosecution for wilful destruction of a businessman’s property in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace.
The accused brothers, Chidi Chukwuneye and Ambrose Chukwuneye, on 5 March, 2010, were alleged to have conspired with others at large to wilfully and unlawfully destroy the property of a Lagos businessman, Prince Dele Ajiboye, worth N20 million.
The arraignment was sequel to a petition written by Prince Ajiboye’s counsel to the police, complaining about the destruction of his property and threat to his life.
Consequently, the police, in the report of their investigation signed by James Aroniyo, a Deputy Commissioner of Police from Force Criminal Investigation Department, recommended that the three brothers, Chidi Chukwuneye, Ambrose Chukwuneye and Ojukwu Chukwuneye, be arraigned in court for offences of conspiracy, malicious damage and forcible entry.
While Chidi and Ambrose have been arraigned before an Igbosere court, the police is still looking for Ojukwu Chukwuneye for arraignment for the same offence.
The issue of dispute on a landed property which formed the centre of this case had long been settled by both Lagos High Court and Court of Appeal in favour of Prince Ajiboye as far back as 1996, when the representatives of Agbojojoye chieftaincy family of Ibasa, Ijegun Egba, dragged the prince to court, which ruled in his favour, while an application to stay of execution of the judgement filed at the Court of Appeal was struck out.
In the same vein, Prince Ajiboye, in another suit he instituted at a Lagos High Court against Innocent Odiko, Ikechukwu Ozichukwu Andrew Umeh and other unknown persons, secured an order restraining the defendants and their agents from trespassing on the land.
There was also an application filed before the court to join some speculators who have been encroaching on the land that was still the subject of litigation.