By Henry Ojelu

LAGOS — JUSTICE Ibironke Harrison of the Lagos State High Court, sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS) Annex, Igbosere, has fixed June 4, 2025, for ruling on the bail applications filed by five persons charged with allegedly making false statements against Oba Saheed Elegushi.

Adeigbagbo Harrison, Prince Toluwoleke Megba, Harrison Soji, Megbalewon Adeniji James, and Segun Ekomale are among the five people charged before the court.

The police, in an eight-count charge, alleged that the defendants, on or about November 30, 2022, at the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID, Alagbon, Ikoyi in Lagos, made false statements of criminal allegations against several persons, including Oba Elegushi, the Al-Mansour family, Chinedu Nweke, Chief Ogunyemi John, and Mosunmola Ogunyemi.

One of the charges reads: “That you, Adeigbagbo Harrison, Prince Toluwoleke Megba, Harrison Soji, Megbalewon Adeniji James, Segun Ekomale, and others now at large, on or about November 30, 2022, at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos, in the Lagos Judicial Division, made a false statement of criminal allegation to the police against His Royal Majesty, Oba Saheed Elegushi (the Elegushi of Ikate Land), information you knew or ought to have known was false.”

Upon their arraignment, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the allegations but were allowed to continue on the administrative bail earlier granted to them by the police, pending the hearing and determination of their formal bail applications.

At yesterday’s proceedings, counsel to the defendants, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, SAN, urged the court to grant them bail on liberal terms, stating that the offence is bailable and that his clients had previously been granted administrative bail.

Police prosecutor, M.A. Animashaun, however, opposed the bail applications, insisting that some of the defendants had initially been on the run before they were apprehended.

After hearing arguments from both parties, Justice Harrison adjourned the matter till June 4, 2025, for a ruling on the bail applications and July 17, 2025, for the commencement of trial.