By Sade Adewale, Ondo
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A 19-year-old man, Eyinatayo Iluyomade has been remanded by an Ondo Magistrate’s Court for dropping a note of threat at the counter of the First Bank in Sabo.
The defendant was brought to court by the police on three count-charge bordering on conspiracy, threatening, and manner likely to pose a security threat.
Police prosecutor, Sgt Akao Moremi told the court that the defendant dropped the note at the bank indicating that by 1 pm on the same date his armed robbery gang members are coming to rob the bank.
He further said that the note posed a security threat to the First Bank’s Sabo branch, and also caused all banks operating in Ondo to shut down for the whole day.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the charge against him.
Moremi told the court that he would be calling four witnesses to testify in the case.
The defense counsel, Mr. Hawkins Akinnugba, applied for the bail of the defendant in most liberal terms.
Moremi vehemently opposed the bail application on the ground that the defendant would temper with the cause of investigation of the matter as there were other criminal elements behind the threat.
He thereby prayed the court to remand the defendant to secede from the correctional center pending the next adjourned date to enable the police to unravel the connection between the defendant and another criminal element behind it for the interest of public safety
Magistrate, Mosunmola Ikujuni thereby refused the bail application of the defendant pending the apprehension of all other criminal gangs.
She said if on the next adjournment date, the prosecution is yet to apprehend all other criminals involved in the matter, then the court will do the needful.
Ikujuni, therefore, adjourned the case till August 8, 2022, for a ruling on the bail application.
Narrating the story the defendant, Iluyomade who identified himself as a comedian in Lagos said that the note that was dropped at the First Bank was a prank, adding that he has been doing this in Lagos since relocating to Ondo town.
According to him, this is the first time the prank in Ondo, noting that there was no other gang that wanted to rob the bank as it was written in the note
He, pleaded for forgiveness and promised not to do it again.
