Crime: Man, 25, Remanded Over Attack On Actor...

An Ilorin Magistrates Court has remanded one Lekan Bamisaiye, 25, aka Dollar for attacking a popular Nollywood actor, Femi Adebayo, while on set at Tanke area of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.

The accused allegedly confronted the filming crew while on location to demand for what he termed ‘land money’ before it could be allowed to continue with production, a request that was rejected by the crew members.

The case was reported at the police ‘F’ division, Tanke, Ilorin on April 7, 2014 at about 6:30pm by one Sodiq Adebayo, a resident of Felele area, Ibadan, Oyo state, who was in Ilorin to shoot a movie.

The complainant said on the same day at about 6pm, while they were shooting on location at Tanke, the accused and his gang attacked them and demanded for ‘land money’.

He also told the police that the hoodlums seriously injured Femi Adebayo in the process.

The police told the court that in the process of arresting the accused, his cohorts attacked its men and started firing at them (police) with their guns, which eventually led to the shooting of one Babajide George to death.

According to the police First Information Report (FIR), the accused with others at large criminally conspired, attacked and inflicted serious wounds on Adebayo and that investigation into the case is in progress for the arrest of the fleeing suspects.

The accused, who pleaded not guilty to the charges, was arraigned in court on a four-count charge of criminal conspiracy, inciting disturbance, causing grievous hurt and culpable homicide, which contravened sections 97, 113, 247 and 221 of penal code law.

The police prosecutor, Corporal Adewumi Johnson, opposed the bail application of the accused and urged the court to remand him in prison custody.

But defense counsel, Kolade Awojobi, prayed the court to discountenance the submission of the prosecution and urged it to grant bail in view of section 36(5) of the 1999 constitution as amended.

In his ruling, the trial judge, Magistrate M.B Ahmed, said the fourth leg of the offence is not ordinarily bailable and ordered that the accused be remanded in the Ilorin prison pending the determination of the case and adjourned till April 25, 2014.