A 30-year-old man, Idowu Ogunseye, was on Monday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly setting his brother’s house ablaze.
Ogunseye, a resident of Ajegunle, Lagos, with no stated occupation, is being tried for arson.
The prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Awase told the court that the accused committed the offence on May 15 at Alakuko, Lagos.
He said that the accused, who was initially the caretaker of the building, unlawfully set fire on the house belonging to his younger brother, Oluwole following an undisclosed dispute between them.
He said that the accused perpetrated the act when Oluwole was not at home.
“When neighbours could not quench the fire, they called in men of the fire service who put it out.
“The case was reported to the police and the accused was immediately arrested,” the prosecutor said.
He said that the offence contravened Section 341 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 (Revised).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes seven years imprisonment for anybody who willfully and unlawfully set fire on another person’s property.
The accused, however, pleaded innocence to the offence.
The magistrate, Mrs F.F. George, granted him bail in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
George said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and should show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government (LASG).
The case was adjourned until May 25 for mention. (NAN)