By BARTHOLOMEW MADUKWE
Three porters with the Yaba College of Technology, Lagos have been arraigned by the Lagos State Police Command, before an Ebute Metta Magistrate Court in Lagos, over an alleged threat to kill the Rector of the institution, Dr. Magaret Oladipo.

The accused persons, Nasiru Yinusa, 23, Akinde Eniola, 26, and Omoyeni Pratt who are facing a three-count charge of felony, threat to kill and attempted stealing, were alleged to have demanded N3 million from the Rector.  According to the prosecutor, Emmanuel Essien, the accused persons committed the alleged offences at the institution on 20 April 2012. The prosecutor alleged that the accused persons claimed they were secret cult members while threatening the Rector on phone before demanding the sum of N3 million from her.

Essien stated that the defendants, including a woman, sent an account number to the Rector where the amount demanded would be paid into, adding that the alleged offences contravened Section 21, 300 and 409 of the Criminal Code Laws of Lagos State.   According to the charge sheet, “following a report, the police traced the account to Yinusa, who was immediately arrested and he later produced Eniola and Pratt, all porters in the institution.”

When the plea of the accused persons were taken before the open Court, they pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them and the magistrate granted them bail in the sum of N100, 000 with two sureties each in like sum.    Meanwhile, the matter was adjourned to May 21.