Court Threaten to Issue a Bench Warrant Against Land Grabber, Moroof Owonla
Justice Adenike Coker of a Lagos State High Court in Ikeja has ordered the state prosecutor to produce alleged notorious land grabber Moroof Owonla and cohorts or they will face bench warrants.
This threat was issued by the court following Owonla’s nonappearance at a criminal trial against him and two others.
As a result of the defendants’ non-appearance at trial, the case has suffered a series of setbacks.
On the last adjourned date, Justice Coker had ordered the defence counsel to produce the defendant.
The state prosecutor for the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, T. O. Adeyegbe told the court, however, that the Attorney-General ordered the matter to be brought to the attention of Restorative Justice so that a resolution could be reached.
The complainant’s counsel Saheed Shitta-bey informed the court, in a counter reaction, that the Attorney-General on the 17th of January had sent the Complainant a letter inviting him to an ADR meeting and he was surprised to see Moroof Owonla and others there.
Shitta-bey stated that the complainant believes that the defendant has disrespected the Court by refusing to appear for trial.
He then sought a Bench Warrant against all the defendants, noting that the defendants are not in custody and are simply trying to escape justice.
He emphasized that Owonla’s crimes include land grabbing and forging court orders to commit fake executions and it’s beyond the restorative process.
In her ruling, Justice Coker ordered the Prosecution to ensure that the Defendant is in Court on the next adjourned date, failing which the court shall be inclined to accede to the prayer of the Complainant Counsel for a Bench Warrant against the defendants.
The matter was subsequently adjourned till April 15 for possible arraignment of the defendants.
The Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP had filled eight-count charges against Moroof Owonla, Olu-Aminu Yemisi Abdulaziz and Ganiyu Aminu over conspiring to commit a felony by forcible entry onto land in the Ayobo area of the State before the emergence of Lawal Pedro, SAN, as the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.
DPP legal advice which recommended the trial of the suspected notorious land grabber was a follow-up to a diligent investigation carried out by the Police and the report issued thereafter which indicted all the defendants.
According to the charge information, the three suspected land grabbers, on the 5th day of August 2022, having procured thugs numbering about twenty invaded a hotel situated at No 34, Faguson Osagie Street and with intent to deprive a businessman, Hassan Alli, carted away building materials valued over thirty-two million naira.
