By Wahab Abdulah
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday ordered that a traditional ruler in Osun State, Taofeeq Osunmakinde, and four others should be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre over alleged illegal gold mining.
Justice Emeka Nwite, who gave the order after the defendants were arraigned by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), directed them to be remanded, pending the perfection of their bail conditions
Oba Osunmakinde was arraigned alongside Sheu Mustapha, Sabiru Hashim, Danbaba Ibrahim and Ade Olap Global Resources Limited.
The defendants were alleged to have committed the offence in Lege Community, Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Oba Osunmakinde is the Obawore of Ifetuntun in Ife Central Local Government Area of Osun State.
The AGF accused the five defendants of conspiring with others at large on August 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.
The monarch and co-defendants were also alleged to have undertaken gold mining on August 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.
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 the 1st defendant 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 residents 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 September 26 for trial.
