Court Remands 5 Touts in Prison for Beating Tanker Driver

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 the point of coma.

Presiding Magistrate, Mr Olusola Aluko ordered the touts to be kept behind the bar pending the determination of the court on their bail application to be filed by the Defence Counsels.

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 about 9Pm at Akepe Area, Osogbo.

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

Briefing the court on Tuesday Police Prosecutor, Sergeant  Rasaki Olayiwola, said the accused person 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 the point of coma, also damaged one side of mirror valued 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 a four count charge of conspiracy, Malicious damage and assault slammed against them.

Defence Counsels, Mr Raji Abiodun and Okobi Najite applied for bail of the accused persons.

Magistrate Aluko swiftly turned down the oral bail application and ordered  the accused persons to remanded in custody at Ilesa prison.

He ordered the defence counsel to file a formal bail application for the suspects before the court.

The touts were to remain in prison custody  pending the determination of the court on the formal application on May 10, 2016.