Illegal gold mining: Court sends Osun traditional ruler, 4 others to Kuje prison
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Published By: Ayorinde Oluokun
By Taiye Agbaje
A traditional ruler, Oba Taofeeq Osunmakinde, the Obawore of Ifetuntun in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State and four others were on Thursday remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged by a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over alleged illegal gold mining.
Oba Osunmakinde was arraigned alongside Sheu Mustapha, Sabiru Hashim, Danbaba Ibrahim and Ade Olap Global Resources Limited by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF).
The defendants, who were alleged to have committed the offence in Lege Community, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State, were arraigned on two counts.
The AGF accused the five defendants of conspiring with others at large on Aug. 25 to engage in the illegal mining of gold at the Ogunlepo mining site in Lege community, Odigbo local government area of Ondo State.
The alleged offence is said to be contrary to Section 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act 2004 and punishable under Section 1(8) of the same Act.
Oba Osunmakinde and co-defendants were also alleged to have undertaken gold mining on Aug. 25 without lawful authority contrary to Section 1(8) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act and punishable under the same Act.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Counsel to the AGF, Toluwalope Ojo, then asked for a trial date.
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Although lawyer Ojo did not object to the bail of the accused persons, he, however, requested the court to compel them to deposit their international passports with the court.
Lawyer to the defendants, Vincent Ododo, who moved consolidated bail applications for his clients, prayed the judge to admit them to bail on various grounds.
Part of the grounds he cited was that Oba Osunmakinde was a well-known traditional ruler and that the charges against them did not carry capital punishment while also assuring that the defendants would not fail to appear in court for trial.
Justice Nwite, in a short ruling, admitted them to bail in the sum of N20 million each with one surety in the like sum.
The judge ordered that the sureties must be resident in Abuja with ownership of landed property and must produce a three-year tax clearance certificate.
He also ordered that the defendants must deposit their international passports along with three copies of each of their recent passport photographs with the deputy chief registrar of the court.
The Judge ordered that they be taken to the correctional facility pending their bail perfection.
The matter was adjourned until Sept. 26 for trial.(NAN)
