Court Remands Five in Prison for Beating Tanker Driver

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
A Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, has remanded five touts in prison custody for allegedly beating a tanker driver to coma.

Presiding Magistrate, Mr. Olusola Aluko ordered the touts to be kept behind the bars pending the determination of their bail applications.

The suspects are: Toheeb Waheed (14) Adama Ganiyu (16) Moshood Raji (20) Rilwan Rauf(14) and Adelusi Sunday(23).

The charge sheet alleged that the accused persons and others at large committed the alleged offence on April 30, 2016 at Akepe Area, Osogbo.

The suspected touts, according to the charge sheet, constituted nuisance at the Akepe area by allegedly unleashing terror on the motorists plying the roads.

Briefing the court on yesterday police prosecutor, Sergeant Rasaki Olayiwola, said the accused persons inflicted injuries on the left eye of Mr Akeem Tijani, the tanker driver, following his refusal to give them a sum of N10,000 which they demanded for as “street money” (owo orita).

Olayiwola further explained that the accused after beating Tijani to coma, also damaged one side of mirror valued at N30,000 and finisher valued at N50,000 of his tanker with registration SGB 248 XB.

He said the alleged offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 516, 355, 451, 249 (D) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. 11 Laws of Osun State of Osun.
But the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge of conspiracy, malicious damage and assault slammed against them.