TRESPASS! Lagos court slams N5 million bail on 38-year-old man for felling teak

A 38-year-old man, Solomon Oyewole, was on Thursday arraigned before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court for trespassing on a landed property and maliciously felling teak and other trees valued at N150 million.

Oyewole is facing a four-count bordering on forceful entry, malicious damage and threatening violence.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

However, Police Inspector Oladele Adebayo, the prosecutor, told the court that the offences were committed sometime in 2017 at Igbokuta Village behind Model School.

He said the accused had forcefully entered a landed property belonging to Dr Veronica Aluko and cut down 1,300 teak and other herbal plants all valued at N150 million.

The accused allegedly threatened violence to enable him gain entry to the land.

The offences contravened Sections 350 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, and also Sections 2(2), 3(3) (a)(b) of the Lagos State Property Protection Law, 2016.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr O. O. Olatunji, granted the accused a bail of N5 million with two responsible sureties in like sum.

Further hearing has been fixed for May 16.

NAN