Scales of Justice

A 29-year-old trader, Sodiq Akinpelu, was on Friday arraigned before an Ogudu Magistrates’ Court, Lagos for allegedly intimidating a woman to strip naked over a missing phone.

The defendant, who resides within Jakande Market in Ikosi-Ketu area of Lagos, was docked on a two-count charge of conspiracy and a breach of peace.

The Prosecutor, Inspector Lucky Ihiehie, told the court that the defendant and some others still at large, committed the offences at Jakande Market, Ketu, on May 11, at about 7.11p.m.‎

Ihiehie further told the court that the defendant conducted himself in a manner that could have caused a breach of public peace when he intimidated, another trader, Yemisi Oladeinu, 37, in the market.

He told the court that the complainant had gone from shop to shop in search of her missing children in the market, when the defendant raised alarm that she had stolen a phone from his shop.

“For that act, they gathered people who started telling her to remove her clothes saying she hid the phone in her pant else they would beat her up.

“She had to comply with them to avoid jungle justice and the defendant stripped her totally naked in public.

“Having stripped her naked, they did not find the phone on her but instead discovered the phone was with one of his boys,” the prosecutor said.

He said offences contravened Sections 168(d) and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015, which attracts a jail term of three months or a fine of N15, 000, for any convicted offender.

The Magistrate, Ejiro Kubeinje, granted the defendant bail in the sum of N50,000 with a surety in like sum.

She held that the surety must be gainfully employed, who must produce evidence of tax payments to the Lagos State Government.

NAN reports that the Magistrate adjourned the case until June 2, for mention.