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Osun court jails six for impersonation

 

Six men have been sentenced to nine months imprisonment each by an Osun State High Court sitting in Osogbo for installing one Chief Oladunjoye Abdullah I as Baale of Irepodun Community, Osogbo, and for parading themselves as kingmakers and members of the Ataoja-In-Council.

According to the prosecution counsel, Moses Faremi, the six men who are; Akande Suleiman, Chief Oladunjoye Abdullahi, Isiaka Balogun, Prince Lateef Jayeola, Basiru Odomode and Adesina Oriyomi and others at large on January 25, 2017, around noon at Irepodun, Oke-Osun, Osogbo, conspired to commit misdemeanor to wit, a conduct which is likely to cause a breach of the peace and thereby committing an offence contrary to and punishable understand section 517, 249, of the Criminal Code Law Cap 34, Volume 11, Laws of Osun State.

Faremi disclosed that Akande Suleiman and four others performed the duty statutorily and traditionally meant to be performed by Ataoja and his council members.

He also stated that Chief Oladunjoye allowed himself to be installed and paraded as Baale of Irepodun Community, Osogbo without the consent of the prescribed authority, which is the incumbent Ataoja of Osogbo.

In his testimony, the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, told the court that while he was preparing to install the Baale of Irepodun, he got a report that some people were installing another candidate as Baale at Irepodun adding that Akande Suleiman from Alaran’s compound, Osogbo, had already made himself a kingmaker and with some set of people had installed another person as Baale.

In their defence, Soji Oyetayo explained to the court that there was no eyewitness to the alleged event.

The defence counsel also stated that the evidence given by Adewale Sikiru, which claimed to have visited Irepodun Community on January 26, 2017 and saw the defendants in a hall installing Chief Oladunjoye Abdullahi as a Baale, which was not stated in his extra-judicial statement, was not made when the event was fresh in his memory.

Oyetayo told the court not to rely on such evidence and urged it to resolve the sole issue formulated in favour of the defendants.

In his judgment, Justice Oke said the prosecution counsel has proven his case beyond a reasonable doubt.

He, therefore, found them guilty on four counts and sentenced them to nine months imprisonment.

Earlier, the prosecution counsel had called five witnesses which included Oba Jimoh Olanipekun, the Ataoja of Osogbo and altogether 17 exhibits were tendered.

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