Courts remand three for assaulting Ikeja Electric workers | Nairalaw

A middle-aged man, Abiodun Makinde, has been arrested by
operatives of the Lagos State Police Command, for allegedly beating
up a worker of a power distribution company, Ikeja Electric,
Oluwaseun Onate, while performing his duties on Aberuagaba Street
in the Oshodi area of the state., Punch reports.

PUNCH Metro gathered that Onate was effecting a disconnection
order on customers who defaulted in the payment of their bills when
Makinde reportedly attacked him.

Makinde, who was said to have fled the scene of the attack, was
later arrested at his hideout following an organised search by
operatives of the command.

Following his arrest, Makinde was arraigned before the Ogba
Magistrates’ Court on two counts of assault and breach of
peace.

While he pleaded not guilty to the charges, the presiding
magistrate, Mrs Dan Oni, granted him bail and ordered that he
should be remanded in the Kirikiri Prison until the bail conditions
were met.

The case was thereafter adjourned till March 14, 2019, for
further hearing.

Similarly, 22-year-old Rotimi Bamigbade has been remanded in
prison for allegedly conniving with four others to attack another f
Ikeja Electric worker.

PUNCH Metro learnt that Bamigbade and four others still at large
had on February 18, 2019, allegedly used bottles and sticks to
physically assault and dispossess an Ikeja Electric linesman,
Oluwatoyo David, of his personal property at Ajasa Command in the
Ipaja area of the state.

Bamigbade was arraigned before Mrs. A. A. Adetunji, sitting at
Court 14, Ogba Magistrates’ Court, on five counts bordering on
conspiracy, breach of peace, obstruction of official duty, assault
occasioning harm and stealing.

The charges read in part, “That you, Rotimi Bamigbade, and
others now at large, on February 18, 2019, around 11am, in the
Ikeja Magisterial District, did obstruct a staff member of Ikeja
Electric, one Oluwatoyo David, while discharging his duty, thereby
committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 117
(2) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State Nigeria, 2015.

“That you, Rotimi Bamigbade, and others now at large, on the
same day, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial
district, did steal an iPhone 5x, valued at N110,000; Povour 2,
valued at N72,000; wristwatch, valued at N5,000; and N10,000, all
valued at N197,000, property of Oluwatoyo David, a staff member of
Ikeja Electric, thereby committing an offence contrary to and
punishable under Section 287 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State
Nigeria, 2015.”

He pleaded guilty to all the charges except stealing was
remanded in the Ikoyi Prison, while the case was adjourned till
Monday, March 18, 2019, for further hearing.

Also arrested for similar offences were Kazeem Owoleye, who
allegedly assaulted two workers of the IE; Ohere Leonard and Paul
Emmanuel, on Rilwan Lawal Street in the Lowa Estate area of
Ikorodu, Lagos State.

Owoleye was arraigned before Mrs T. A. Azeez of the Ikorodu
Magistrates’ Court 1 on two counts.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges and was subsequently
granted bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties.

Owoleye was, however, remanded in the Kirikiri Prison pending
the perfection of his bail conditions.

The Head, Corporate Communications, Ikeja Electric, Felix
Ofulue, said the company had sought redress in the courts to
curtail the incessant assault on its workers and to serve as a
deterrent to others who might want to commit similar offences in
the future.

Ofulue said, “The decision to seek redress in court over the
series of attacks on the company’s staff members is to stem the
menace of violence against its staff, a development we hope will
serve as a deterrent to other offenders.

“We urge aggrieved customers to seek peaceful means and use the
redress mechanism established by the company for the resolution of
issues.”