The Kwara State Magistrate Court has arraigned one Mallam Ganiyu Aliyu Babatunde for allegedly parading himself as Ataoja and Oba Oroki-Oja in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
According to the Police First Information Report (FIR), the defendant (Babatunde) was dragged before Magistrate Kola Aluko by Alhaji Ahmadu Saliu Bello Agara, Alhaji Suleiman Bello, Uthman Saheed and Zulgurnain Ahmed for reportedly forging a document which he tagged, Approval of Appointment/Grading as 4th class chief by the Kwara State Government.
The defendant with his cohorts; Ganiyu Omolebe, Rasaki Agunmu Ajiroba and Kazeem Omo Ajadi, were also charged for causing havoc and mischief on the complainants during Ileya Festival adding that they went to the complainant family house chanting war song that Fulani people are strangers in Oroki-Oja village and must vacate the land.
The Direct complainant further accused Babatunde of leading his gang to the complainant (Agara) family house to disrupt their ceremony, damaging the chairs arranged for their guests.
“It’s in the habit of the defendants to be going round our clients family house threatening them to leave Oroki Oja, the complainant now finds it difficult to visit Oroki Oja again for fear of being attacked by the defendants.
“The most notorious among them is Babatunde who has been parading himself as Ataoja and Oba of Oroki-Oja, Ifelodun area of the state with fake document captioned ‘Approval of Appointments/Grading as 4th class Chief claimed to be issued by the Kwara State Government which was forged to decieve members of the public.
Counsel to the complainant, Barrister Adekunle Bamidele, urged the court to remand the defendants in the Correctional facility on the basis that offence of forgery is not ordinary bailable and it attracts 14 years imprisonment.
The defendant counsel on the other hand, Barrister Gbenga Oyewole urged the court to discountenance the submission of his senior colleague on the basis that his client will not jump bail and will provide reliable sureties with traceable addresses if admitted to bail.
Magistrate Aluko, in his ruling, admitted the defendants to two hundred thousand bail bond and two sureties who must be leaving within the court jurisdiction while the matter was adjourned subsequently.