A Magistrate Court sitting in Osi, Ondo State has convicted a traditional ruler of Ode Community in Akure North Local Government Area of the state, Oba Adewale Boboye.
The monarch was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for unlawfully demolishing a perimeter fence, some palm trees and food crops, property of a religious center, the Apostolic Church, on Ado-Ekiti Road, Igoba in Akure.
Oba Boboye was arraigned in court on six-count charge bothering on felony to wit malicious damage.
The prosecutor, Ajiboye Babatunde, a police sergeant, told the court that the convict, and others at large at the ‘Pastorate and Laity of the Apostolic Church Nigeria, along Ado Ekiti Road Igoba, Akure North conspired to commit felony to wit: malicious damage.
He further told the court that the convict unlawfully demolished the perimeter fence of the pastorate and laity of the church, valued at about N1 million, demolished the palm trees and food crops valued at about N5 million, and demolished the signpost of the church.
The prosecutor, who said the offence contravened sections 516, 451, 249(d), and 81 of the Criminal Code Cap 7 vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006, told the court that when the convict was arrested, he could not give a satisfactory account of what happened to the police.
The defense counsel, Adeola Kayode, however, denied the allegations levelled against his client, the monarch.
In her ruling, the magistrate, Mrs Bukola Ojo, sentenced the convict to 10 years after she had found him guilty of the charges against him.
She convicted and sentenced the monarch to imprisonment for two years in count one with an option of a fine of N20,000.
On counts two and three the convict got two years each with no option of fine while he bagged another one year in jail with an option of fine of N10,000.
On count five, he was sentenced to imprisonment for two years with no option of a fine. On count six, the defendant was sentenced to jail for one year with an option of a fine of N20,000.
The court, however, awarded the sum of N5 million naira as compensation to the complainant for the damage to the perimeter fence, palm trees, and other crops, and said if the convict could pay the compensation sum the imprisonment would be vacated.
The magistrate ruled that the sentence is to run concurrently.