It was a seemingly mundane miscommunication on the face of it, a paper, an ordinary day, a man on Iwo Road. But for 31-year-old Muyiwa Adebayo, that paper became a police report, handcuffs, and a place in the courtroom.
On June 17, at about 11:35 a.m., Muyiwa found himself in the midst of legal trouble as he had been arrested when he was found with what the police claim was an Oyo State Internal Revenue ticket — a government document.
Now, he’s criminal. Not for theft. Not for fraud. But for illegal possession of government property — not just any property, but a ticket linked to the state tax system as well.
The police didn’t claim he forged it. They didn’t claim he used it. They simply claimed that he had it — and couldn’t explain how or why. So, he’s a felon. For owning a ticket.
In court before the magistrate on Friday, prosecutor Inspector Elisha Tellang informed Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court that Muyiwa was unable to provide a “satisfactory explanation” for possessing the official ticket. No clearance. No business registration. Only the paper and confusion.
Muyiwa, who was himself calm in the dock, entered a plea of not guilty.
The court’s presiding magistrate, Mrs. Moyosore Atanda, granted him bail of about ₦200,000, and two sureties to pay up. One of the court officials explained to the publication that the court was not out to victimise the poor but was bound by law.
The case has been adjourned to July 7, but it raises a question that slices through more than court forms:
How does one government-issued ticket become a criminal charge?
In a town where touts loiter around bus termini, and tax stickers are exchanged in a flash, no one can quite figure out who’s the criminal and who’s at fault for being trapped in an incomprehensible system.
Meanwhile, Muyiwa is out on bail — but walks gingerly, under the specter of a case born out of a piece of paper.
