‘Wole Adedeji, Ilorin
Rector of the Kwara State Polyrechnic (KWARAPOLY), Engr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed, and two others have been docked in an Ilorin Chief Magistrate Court for alleged criminal tresspass, criminal conspiracy, mischief, assault and theft.
Others were Isiaka Lukman Bolaji and one Mr. Yahaya whose alleged offences were said to be punishable under 97, 242, 396, 326 and 286 of the Nigerian Penal Code.
They were the three brought to court out of five scheduled to be arraigned through a Criminal Direct Complaint by the Law Firm of Deji Gbadeyan and Co. on behalf of Kadiri Ayinde, Nasiru Ayinde and Gafar Saheed after the Nigeria Police said to have been earlier complained to failed to act or respond to the alleged criminal acts.
Strangely, the other two, Kehinde Salimonu who came of Mogaji Village and Wahidi Akano of Gidaje Village who were said to be preaent in court in anticipation for their arraignment were not docked.
However, they were saved by the Attorney-General of Kwara State, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman who instructed the Director, Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr. Ayoola Idowu Akande, through a letter brought to court by a State Counsel, Yetunde Ajayi, “to discontinue and terminate this criminal matter against the aforementioned Defendants”.
The Attorney-General said his action was “pursuant to the provisions of Section 211 (1) (c) and (2) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) and section 114 (1) and (2) of the Kwara State Administration of Justice Law of 2018”.
The four-count Direct Complaint against the Rector and the other two was that they, and some armed carrying members of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) criminally entered the complainanta’ Gatta Village to cause wanton destruction of farmlands, cash crops and fell down the economic trees of the villagers contrary to section 96 of the Penal Code Law.
They were said to have carried out the criminal acts along with the NSCDC men without just cause or any court order authorising them to do so and they continued to carry out the acts from 5th March, 2024 till the date the the complaint was filed in court using a DX 8 Bulldozer Caterpillar to “plunder, bulldoze and wantonly destroyed all the complainants’ farmland and their economic trees contrary to 242 of the Penal Code Law”.
The Rector, Engr. Abdul Jimoh Mohammed and the other two men arraigned were also accused that “in furtherance of their conspiracy criminally converted 28 separate lorry loads of logs from the complainants’ fell fown economic trees on different occasions to a sawmill situate at Irewolede area Ilorin”.
They were said to have thereby “committed the offence of criminal conversion and theft of the complainants’ numerous economic trees worth millions of Naira contrary to section 286 of the Penal Code Law.
The Rector and the two were also arraigned for allegedly, in company of armed NSCDC men coerced, intimidated and arrested some of the known villagers in Gatta thereby committed the offence of mischief and criminal intimidation contrary to section 326 and 396 of the Penal Code Law.
However, the intervention of the Attorney-General of the Kwara State ordering the discontinuation of the alleged criminal case in court put paid to the prosecution of the Rector, who is a high ranking public officer in the State and his two alleged accomplices.
