The Lagos Police Command has arraigned no fewer than six traders for allegedly assaulting and blackmailed a popular Nollywood actress, Lizzy Anjorin-Lawal, before a Chief Magistrate Court in Tinubu axis of Lagos Island Local Government.
Those arraigned before Magistrate A. A. Paul, were; Qudus Jokogbola; Suru Olawale; Edu Shakirat; Fausat Mohammed; Kafayat Ahmed and Opere Simiat Morenike. Meanwhile, two other suspects were said to be at large.
The six defendants and the two others at large, according to the police on Thursday, committed the alleged offences at about 1.30p.m on Monday inside Oba Akintoye Market, Lagos Island.
On the charges against the defendants, the prosecutor, Sola Samuel, informed the court that all the six individuals and two others said to be at large, conspired among themselves and forcefully pushed and dragged Lizzy Anjorin, the action that caused her grievous bodily harm.
The prosecutor also told the court that the defendant’s actions caused a breach of public peace.
He told the court that the offences committed by the defendants contravened sections 411 and 413; 168(d) and 170(b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015. And punishable under the same Act.
Meanwhile, all the defendants denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against them.
Following their stance on the allegations, their lawyer, Ade Oshodi, who led the other six lawyers, informed the court that his clients were traders, urging that they be granted bail in the most liberal terms.
The Magistrate, Paul, in his ruling, admitted each of the defendants to bail in the sum of N200 000, 00 with one surety in like sum
The magistrate also ordered the sureties the be residents of Lagos State with evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State government, among others.
Paul, however, ordered that all the defendants be remanded in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCoS), till when they will meet the bail terms and adjourned the case to March 11, for mention.
Charges against the defendants read: “That you Qudus Jokogbola ‘m’, Suru Olawale ‘m’, Edu Shakirat ‘f’, Fausat Mohammed ‘f’, Kafayat Ahmed ‘f’, Opere Simiat Morenike ‘f and two others at Large on the 5th day of February 2024 at about 1330hrs at Oba Akintoye Market, Lagos Island in the Lagos Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit assault and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 411 and 413 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State
of Nigeria 2015.
“That you Qudus Jokogbola ‘m’, Suru Olawale ‘m’, Edu Shakirat ‘f, Fausat Mohammed ‘f’, Kafayat Ahmed ‘f’, Opere Simiat Morenike ‘f’ and two others at Large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial did unlawfully conduct yourselves in a manner to cause the breach of the public peace by assaulting one Lizzy Anjorin Lawal by forcefully pushing and dragging her which caused her bodily harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 168(d) of the criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
“That you Qudus Jokogbola ‘m’, Suru Olawale ‘m’, Edu Shakirat ‘f, Fausat Mohammed ‘f’, Kafayat Ahmed ‘f’, Opere Simiat Morenike ‘f’ and two others at Large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial did unlawfully assault one Lizzy Anjorin Lawal by forcefully pushing and dragging her which caused her bodily harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 170(b) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.
“That you Qudus Jokogbola ‘m’, Suru Olawale ‘m’, Edu Shakirat ‘f, Fausat Mohammed ‘f’, Kafayat Ahmed ‘f’, Opere Simiat Morenike ‘f’ and two others at Large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial did unlawfully injured the reputation of one Lizzy Anjorin Lawal when one of you recognized her being an actress in the Nollywood industry by calling her thief, ‘Ole’, ‘ashawo’ etc also posting it on the internet that she stole at the Lagos Island Market and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 170(b) of the criminal Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria 2015.”.
