By Anita
The Lagos State Police Command has charged two residents of Orile Oko-Oba to court, for assault of an official of the Electricity Distribution Company, Ikeja Electric, on Tuesday September 27.
The men, Odewale Jamiu, Fatai Saheed were arraigned in an Agege court and charged with assault and causing a breach of the public peace on four counts.
The charges read in part,
“That you, Odewale Jamiu, Fatai Saheed, and others at large, on September 20, 2022, around 10.45am, at Oko-Oba Road, Agege, Lagos, in the Ikeja Magisterial District, did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of the peace by engaging some Ikeja Electric staff while performing their lawful duty.
That you, Odewale Jamiu, Fatai Saheed, and others at large, on the same date, time and place, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did assault one Omotosho Olugbenga a worker of Ikeja Electric, that led to the hospitalisation…”
The offences were said to be punishable under sections 168 (d), 413 (2), 173, 230 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
The Chief Magistrate, L.A. Owolabi, granted them bail in the amount of N250,000, with two sureties in the same amount, and adjourned the case until November 15 for mention.
Meanwhile, residents holding placards in front of the court accused Tajudeen Musa, the Ikeja Electric undertaking manager in charge of fee collection in the area, of harassing them with policemen.
Placards read, among other things,
“IKEDC is a scam,” “Using police to threaten the community and shoot at community members,” and “Stop estimated billing.”
Residents who spoke on the condition of anonymity told a Punch correspondent that the undertaking manager harassed them into paying their bills.
A member of the community association said, “They brought a fee of N110,000 to my house. They have been doing like that for months. They also brought the police to shoot at us after we protested against their extortion.”
Another resident said, “We are tired of how Ikeja Electric is treating us. They will even bring police when they want to collect their fees. They’ll harass us and sometimes shoot.”
