Two men were on Tuesday arraigned before an Ado Ekiti Magistrate’s Court by the Police in Ekiti State for extorting money at an illegal roadblock and possession of stolen money.
The police prosecutor, Sgt Olubu Apata, said the defendants – Yusuf Ibrahim, 23 and Adeyemo Oluwatosin, 20, were charged to court on two counts of demand of money with menace and unlawful possession of money.
Apata told the court that “the defendants and others at large committed the offence on May 26 at about 09:00 a.m at Odo-Ado in Ado-Ekiti”.
The prosecutor alleged that “the defendants and others at large conspired among themselves to demand money with menace.
“The defendants were unlawfully in possession of N650,000 suspected to be stolen. The defendants and others at large during the lockdown blocked the road and extort people of their money.
“The offences contravened Section 516 and 427 of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012,” he said.
The prosecutor asked the court for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file and present his witnesses.
The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His counsel, Mr Gboyega Abiola, urged the court to grant them bail, with a promise that they would not jump bail.
The Magistrate, Mrs Taiwo Ajibade, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties each in like sum.
The magistrate adjourned the case until July 15 for hearing.
(Punch)
