Two farmers – Sunday Sobijor and Peter Marcus – on Friday appeared before an Okitipupa Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ondo State over alleged forcible entry into farmland and stole logs of wood valued at N400,000.
The defendants whose addresses were not given are facing a three-count charge of felony, trespassing and stealing.
The prosecutor, Insp. Ayodeji Omoyeigha told the court that the defendants and others still at large committed the offences on July 7 at 10:30 a.m.
He said the defendants on that day conspired to commit a felony on farmland along the Okitipupa-Irele Road in the Okitipupa Magisterial District.
According to him, the defendants forcibly entered into farmland where they stole some logs of wood worth N400,000 belonging to one Pere Arenibaro.
The counsel said the offences contravened Sections 517, 81 and 390(9), Criminal Code, Cap.37, Vol.1, Laws of Ondo State 2006 and punishable under the same.
The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges levelled against them.
The chief magistrate, Dickson Ogunfuyi, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N200,000 each and a surety each in like sums.
He said that each of the sureties must produce evidence of a year tax clearance paid to the state government. (NAN)
Vanguard