The Ajagun Ode of Ode community, Oba Adewale Sunday Boboye, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by an Osi Magistrate Court in Akure North council area of Ondo State.
He was found guilty of unlawfully demolishing palm trees, food crops, and a perimeter fence belonging to The Apostolic Church Nigeria, among other charges.
The prosecution alleged that the monarch and others at large conspired to commit the crime and could not give a satisfactory account to the police when arrested.
Four witnesses testified in court, and the prosecutor called on the court to punish the defendant accordingly to serve as a deterrent to others.
The defendant denied the allegations levelled against him and pleaded for mercy during the trial. The trial Magistrate, Mrs Bukola Ojo, convicted and sentenced the defendant to prison for various terms ranging from two to ten years, with or without the option of a fine. The Magistrate cited the relevant sections of the Criminal Code Cap 7 vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006, in passing the judgement.
”On count five, the defendant is sentenced to imprisonment for a period of two years with no option of fine while on count six, the defendant is sentenced to imprisonment for a period of one year with an option of fine of N20,000.
The court thereafter awarded the sum of N5 million naira as compensation to the complainant for the damage of the perimeter fence, palm trees and other crops.
Magistrate Ojo, however, noted that “if the convict pays the compensation, the imprisonments would be ‘vacated.
She added that yhe imprisonment was to run concurrently.