An Akure Chief Magistrate Court has arraigned the Yangede of Epe community in Ondo East local government area of Ondo State, Oba Oyebade Akinkuade Isaac (65), alongside two others, Philip Akinrintan (61) and Tolu Akinwande (56) over allegations of unlawful excavation and environmental degradation.
The trio were brought before the court on a five-count charge bordering on forcible entry, breach of peace, damage to economic crops, unlawful degradation of surface soil, and destruction of survey beacon pillars among other offence.
According to the charge sheet, the defendants allegedly conspired to unlawfully excavate and cart away approximately ten tipper loads of sand, valued at N35 million, from land belonging to one Akintunde Akinrele Johnson.
The incident reportedly occurred in February 2024 at Epe town, a suburb community to Ondo town along Ondo/Okeigbo within the Ondo judicial division.
The prosecution stated that the act was carried out in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace, as the land was in the peaceful possession of the complainant.
The defendants were also accused of willfully degrading the surface soil and damaging economic crops estimated at about N2 million. Additionally, the monarch and two others were allegedly to have destroyed survey beacons worth another N2 million.
The offences contravene sections 517, 81, 451, and 457 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. 1 Laws of Ondo State, 2006.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Police Prosecutor, Mr. Tolu Abisagbo, informed the court of the prosecution’s readiness, noting that five witnesses would be called to testify.
He thereafter requested for a short adjournment to enable him assemble hos witnesses and and bring them to the court.
Defence counsel, Barrister Jimoh Famoritiye, applied for a bail on behalf of the defendants, urging the court to grant it on liberal terms.
He equally assured the court of their willingness to appear at all proceedings, noting particularly that Oba Akinkuade, being a traditional ruler and a respected community leader will not jump bail.
After listening to the submission from both the Prosecutor and Councel, the Chief Magistrate Odenusi Fadeyi, granted the defendants bail in the sum of N5 million, with two sureties each in like sum. The sureties are required to provide evidence of tax payment for the years 2024 and 2025, and their residences must be verified by the police.
The case was later adjourned to September 8, 2025, for hearing.