Nine men and a woman were yesterday arraigned before an Igbosere Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, over the alleged assault of three women at the Oba Morufu International Market, Ejigbo, Lagos.
The accused included: Isiaka Waidi, 60; Azeez Akinosun, 35; Saheed Adisa, 28; Jimoh Busari, 49; Tijani Lateef, 37 and Adekunle Adenuga, 57.
Others were: Buhari Yusuf, 21; Haruna Abdullahi, 19: Ahmed Adisa, 65, and a woman, Oloruntoyin Dauda, 45, the head of the market women association.
Their charge sheet indicated that they were arraigned for conspiring to commit murder and indecent acts, demanding property with violence, with intent to steal, managing an unlawful society and unlawful assembly as well as neglect to prevent felony.
The accused, however, denied all the charges.
The prosecutor, ASP Charles Odii, told a packed courtroom that the accused committed the offences alongside others now at large on February 11, 2013, at the Oba Morufu International Market, Ejigbo, Lagos.
He said Waidi, Akinosun, Adisa, Busari and Abdullahi conspired with others now at large to commit murder.
Odii told the court that the accused assaulted Miss Juliana Agoma, Mrs Ajoke Agoma and Mrs Nike Salami by inserting pepper into their private parts.
The prosecutor said that Waidi also demanded N50, 000 from one Mr Fima Agoma and threatened to injure him and kill his wife (Ajoke) and daughter (Juliana) if he failed to pay the money.
The police prosecutor added that Akinosun, Adisa and Busari assisted in the management of an unlawful society called Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) as well as took part in an unlawful assembly at the market.
The chief magistrate, Mrs Adeola Adedayo, admitted each of the accused to bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case till July 23.
