Police Arraign 8 Suspects Over BRT Vandalisation In Maryland

Police Arraign 8 Suspects Over BRT Vandalisation In Maryland 

Eight suspects have been arraigned before an Ebute-Meta Magistrate Court in connection with the incident which occurred on June 29 following the death of a street hawker and resulting in the vandalisation of about 48 BRT buses. The suspects which include 4 teenagers are: Agu Israel (18), Idike Sylvester (23), Babizua Nwode (31), Ropo Babatunde (19), Anashi Philip (26), Ezekiel Ebonyi (21), Friday Nweze (19) and John Kalu (17).

They were arrested by the police and transferred to the State Department of Criminal Investigations, Yaba, and are being tried on three counts of willful damage and conduct likely to cause breach of public peace. The cost of repairs of the vandalised vehicles was estimated at N139m. 

According to this report, the charge sheet reads in part: “That you, Agu Israel, Idike Sylvester, Babizua Nwode, Ropo Babatunde, Anashi Philip, Ezekiel Ebonyi, Friday Nweze, John Kalu and others at large, on June 29 2016, at about 2.30pm on Ikorodu Road, Anthony Bus stop, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did wilfully and unlawfully damaged 48 BRT buses, property of Primero Transport Services Limited.” 

The police prosecutor, Sergeant Mariam Dauda, said the offences were punishable under sections 409, 349 and 166 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011. The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges and Magistrate, O.O. A. Fowowe-Erusiafe, granted bail application in the sum of N1m each with two responsible sureties in like sum, adding that one of the sureties must be a relation of the defendants, before adjourning till August 17, 2016.