Attempted murder: Court grants bail to three Ladipo Market traders

The men were accused of plotting to murder their fellow traders.

An Ikeja High Court on Friday granted bail to three traders in the Aguiyi-Ironsi International Market, popularly known as Ladipo Market, in Mushin, Lagos, who were remanded over alleged attempted murder.

The traders – Ifeanyi Ogugwa, Ernest Anajemba and Chukwu Obe – were granted bail by a vacation judge, Ganiyu Safari.

The traders were remanded in the Ikoyi Prisons by Magistrate A.O. Adedayo of a Surulere Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, in April 2012.

The accused were charged with conspiring with the President of the market traders’ association, Jonathan Okoli, to commit the offence on March 5, 2012. The prosecution alleged that they attempted to murder some traders, Maduchukwu Ejike, Solomon Eze, Cyril Nwenu and Joseph Nnaji, at Ladipo.

The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions said that the accused persons inflicted grievous bodily harm on the four traders. It said that the accused were armed with dangerous weapons when they committed the alleged offences.

The prosecution also accused them of unlawfully assembling at the market to act in disorderly manner and disturb the public peace.

The court did not take their plea.

Ruling on bail applications filed by the accused counsel, Clement Onwuenwunor, Mr. Safari granted each of the accused bail in the sum of N5 million with two sureties in like sum.

The judge ordered that one of the sureties must be a director in civil service, while the other must own a landed property in Lagos State.

He said the sureties must produce evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

NAN reports that no date has been fixed for further hearing in the case.