Falilat Oluwayemisi and Adeshina Balogun, two people accused of illegally demolishing a four-story building worth N800 million, have appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court.
Oluwayemisi and Balogun are accused of conspiring to demolish a Hakeem Olawuyi-owned building in Lagos illegally on six counts.
In place of Insp. Ajayi Emmanuel, the prosecutor, SP Josephine Ikhayere, informed the court that the defendants planned to perpetrate the crime on April 1 with others who are still at large.
Ikhayere said that the defendants had destroyed the four-story structure and forced the tenants to leave by using thugs who were equipped with deadly weapons.
She said that the structure featured 24 lock-up businesses, 12 two-bedroom flats, and four self-contained apartments. It was situated at Number 20a, Church Street, in the Isale-Eko neighborhood of Lagos Island.
According to Ikhayere, Olawuyi of Dapo Ola Construction Company owned the whole collection of artifacts valued at N800 million that were lost during the demolition.
She testified before the court that the offenses were against the 2015 Lagos State Criminal Law.
The defendants entered a not guilty plea to the accusations.
The defendants were granted bail in the amount of N800,000 and two guarantor, each of whom had to be in gainful employment and have paid two years’ worth of taxes to the Lagos State Government, according to the presiding magistrate, Mr. Lateef Owolabi, speaking on behalf of Magistrate O. I Raji.
The issue was postponed till August 28 by Owolabi. (NAN)