A truck owner, Samuel Kuzoru, 61 and his driver, Itoro Bassey, on Monday, appeared before a Badagry Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State, charged with assaulting a policeman on lawful duty.

The defendants- Kuzoru and Bassey – whose residential addresses were not provided, are facing a three-count charge of assault, breach of peace and disobedience to traffic laws

The defendants pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

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The Prosecutor, Insp. Ayodele Adeosun told the court that the defendants committed the offences on June 22, at about 1.30p.m., at Badagry roundabout on the Lagos-Badagry expressway.

Adeosun said that the defendants allegedly assaulted ASP Michael Oladejo, attached to the Badagry Divisional Police Headquarters, by jointly beating him up with others, who were now at large.

The prosecutor said that the driver and others at large conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by removing the berret from the officer’s head and throwing it to the ground.

 “The driver in charge of a Mazda commercial bus with registration number EPE 627 XV drove on the public highway without valid driver’s licence.

“Kuzoru, the owner of the commercial bus, also disobeyed Road Traffic law by giving out his bus to Bassey who did not have valid driver’s licence.

“The offences contravene Sections 174, 168 and 122 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015,” he said.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Patrick Adekomaiya granted the defendants bail in the sum of N100,000 each and two sureties in like sum.

Adekomaiya said one of the sureties must be gainfully employed with evidence of  payment of tax to the Lagos State Government.

The Chief Magistrate adjourned the case until July 15, for mention.