Lagos woman in court for breaking N120,000 EKEDC ladder

The police in Lagos have arraigned a 39-year-old woman, Minotu Shodimu, for allegedly attacking officials of the Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc and vandalising their ladder.

Shodimu was arraigned on Wednesday before an Ebute Metta Chief Magistrate’s Court on two counts of vandalism and breach of public peace.

Our correspondent learnt that the EKEDC officials had visited Shodimu’s community to disconnect power over unpaid bills.

The charges read, “That you, Minotu Shodimu, and others (now at large) on February 26, 2022, around 10.30am at No. 58, Abule Nla Road, off Apapa Road, Ebute Metta, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did forcefully drag down the ladder of Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc from their operational van, which got damaged in the process, valued at  N120,000, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 350 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.

“That you, Minotu Shodimu, and others (now at large) on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned magisterial district, did conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace by engaging Eko Electricity Distribution Company Plc in their operational vehicle and throwing same on the road, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 168 (D) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2015.”

The complainant was represented by a lawyer, Onyekachi Okeke, while the prosecutor, Jimah Iseghede, was also in court.

The defence counsel, F.S Oladele, asked for bail in liberal terms after the defendant pleaded not guilty to the two counts.

The Chief Magistrate, G.O. Abayomi, admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N50,000 with a surety in like sum.

The court adjourned the case till June 13, 2022.