Court Sentences Osun Ex-LG Chairman and Five Others for Arson

Tajudeen Babatunde, a former head of the local administration, was found guilty of conspiracy, malicious destruction, and arson and was given a four-year prison term.

A Chief Magistrate Court meeting in Iwo on Thursday punished Babatunde, who had previously held the position of interim chairman of the Iwo West local council development authority.

Along with Adeoye Alabi and Kasumu Ajao, he was jailed alongside three citizens of Benin, namely Sunday Ajoko, Jonas John, and Kohonu Deboye.

They were charged with four charges related to conspiracy, malicious damage, and arson under trial suit number MIW/68c/2019.

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The charge sheet states that “about 400 palm trees and other economic trees valued about N10 million were cut down on or before the 16th day of February 2019 at Ayigbiri Orupekere farm located along Iwo/Ibadan road in Iwo, Osun State by the defendants and others yet to be apprehended.”

The Oosa Olaniyi family in Iwo, the nominal complainant in the case, requested in writing that the Osun State Ministry of Justice assume prosecution of the case from the police. The government granted their request. The letter was sent by the family’s attorney, Dele Abbas.

Magistrate Famuyide found all of the defendants guilty following the conclusion of the case’s hearing on Wednesday, but she postponed reading the sentences until Thursday.

During the six defendants’ Thursday sentencing hearing, which was attended by their attorney, Laide Yekini, the Ministry of Justice’s prosecuting attorney, Mikaheel Idris, and the attorney for the nominally compliant defendant, Abbas, Famuyide declared that the prosecution had conclusively proven all of the charges made against the defendants.

They were given a four-year prison sentence after being found guilty on all counts.

She refused to give the complainant’s request for compensation, advising the family to take their case before another court with appropriate jurisdiction.

Nevertheless, in light of Ajao’s advanced age and poor health, the court offered him the choice of a N80,000 fine.