An Ekiti State Chief Magistrate Court, Ado Ekiti Distict, has sentenced 36-year-old Usman Lateef to 30 days’ community service including sweeping and cleaning works at the Ekiti High Court, Ado Ekiti premises for assaulting one landowner.

Lateef was said to have slapped the landowner after paying damages for yams destroyed in the course of fencing.

According to the charge, the assault was committed on January 31, 2022, at about 1pm at Odo-Uro Community, Iyin Ekiti when the defendant assaulted one Oke Boluwaji by slapping him.

The defendant, who was arraigned on February 2, had pleaded not guilty when the charge was read and explained to him.

The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Elijah Adejare, said, “The offence is contrary to and punishable under Section 351 of the Criminal Code, Cap C16, Vol. 1, Laws of Ekiti State Nigeria, 2012”.

In his statement to the police, Boluwaji said, “I bought the land at Odo-Uro, Iyin Ekiti, from a chief with yams planted on it, some of the yams were destroyed while fencing the land. After some time, the defendant came to claim damages for the destroyed yams.

“After intervention from the chief and other neighbours, I paid him N100,000 for the destroyed yams. He was warned not to disturb me on the land anymore. He packed the damaged yams and came back to uproot the remaining.

“Yet, he always came to disturb me and other workers on the land. The matter was reported at the police station, he was arrested and later released after warning and cautioning him. He came back again after some time, I held him and called the chief. When the chief arrived, he started slapping me continuously in the presence of the chief,” the landowner said.

The prosecutor, Adejare, called three witnesses and tendered statements of the victim and defendant, a shirt and a stone as exhibits while the convict spoke in his own defence through his counsel, who pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, he called one witness.

In his judgment, Magistrate Olatomiwa Daramola, who said, the defendant was “found guilty and convicted accordingly,” however, said, “He is a young man who can still be useful to society if given the chance.

“He is hereby sentenced to one-month community service within the High Court premises to be supervised by officer of the non-custodial arm of the Nigeria Correctional Services,” the magistrate pronounced.