Tag: Dismissed

Justice Olabisi Akinlade of a Lagos High Court, Ikeja, yesterday granted bail to the dismissed Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Pen Cinema, Agege Police Station, Mr. Segun Fabunmi.

He was arraigned before the judge for the alleged killing of a protester, Adedamola Daramola, during last year’s protests on fuel subsidy removal.

Justice Akinlade granted bail to Fabunmi in the sum of N250 million with two sureties in like sum.

Granting the defendant’s application, the judge held that Fabunmi would be in need of a special medical attention, which he might not get in prison if denied bail.

She held that a medical report issued by the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, which showed that the defendant is suffering from renal (kidney) failure, was sufficient to grant him bail.

She said the defendant provided sufficient material upon which his bail application could be considered.

“What is important in granting bail is for a defendant to place sufficient materials before the court.

“It is when a defendant has done this that the burden of proof will shift to the prosecution, who will show why the defendant should not be granted bail,” Justice Akinlade said.

She held that the medical report attached to the bail application as an exhibit was sufficient to grant bail to the accused.

The judge, however, barred Fabunmi from travelling outside the country during the trial.

She directed him to deposit his passport and other travelling documents with the chief registrar, who is to appoint a police officer to verify the documents.

Justice Akinlade ordered that the police officer to be appointed by the chief registrar must swear to an affidavit of verification after completing the exercise.

Another bail condition given by the judge is the two sureties to be provided by the defendant must be resident in Lagos and possess three years tax clearance.

She said one of them must have a landed property worth N100 million. The other must be a director in either the state or federal civil service.

Justice Akinlade fixed July 16 for commencement of trial.

A lecturer at the Ekiti State University (EKSU) has been dismissed for alleged sexual escapades with female students.

The Registrar of the institution, Dr. Omojola Awosusi, broke the news at the weekend when he addressed members of the gender-based violence prohibition law (GBVL) management committee, who were on an advocacy visit to the university.

According to Awosusi, the dismissal of the lecturer was “a warning signal to the university community that gender-based violence would not be treated with levity.”

The delegation was led by the wife of the Ekiti State Governor and Chairperson of the committee, Erelu Bisi Fayemi and Commissioner for Women Affairs, Social Development and Gender Empowerment, Mrs. Fola Richie-Adewusi.

The registrar said an attempted rape of a non-academic official was nipped in the bud when sympathisers were attracted to the scene by the victim’s shouts.

The registrar said legal encumbrance was a major challenge for the university in dealing with errant students and lecturers found culpable of sexual harassment.

The committee also visited the state Chief Judge, Justice Ayodeji Daramola, Commissioner of Police Mr. Sotonye Wakama and Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Olawale Fapohunda.

Justice Daramola said the adoption of alternative dispute resolution mechanism in settling criminal matters is not in the best interest of justice.

He said he was always taken aback when relatives of victims of crime approached the court with the position that they had forgiven the suspects and would not want to go ahead with the case.

He said: “Alternative dispute resolution mechanism is more sophisticated in Ekiti. Even people want to settle criminal matters out of court. You hear things like ‘We have forgiven him.’ Such forgiveness will only encourage crime to fester.”

Four persons including a dismissed police corporal, Patrick Adeki, have been arrested for alleged robbery in Lagos.

Adeki and Chinedu Onwunure were arrested in Ebute Meta, Lagos Mainland; Chinedu Sunday Okoro and Samuel Kito were caught in Alakuko, a Lagos suburb.

Lagos Police Command spokesperson Ngozi Braide, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said Adeki and Onwunure were arrested by men of the anti-robbery squad from Dento Police Station following a tip-off.

Braide said: “on Tuesday October 2 at about 1400hrs, policemen attached to Ebute-Metta Division responded to a distress call and arrested one Chinedu Onwunure inside a makeshift building, with one double barrel shot gun and nine live cartridges”.

She said the suspect was interrogated by detectives and he confessed to so many robberies within the area and other parts of the state.

The suspect also confessed that a dismissed policeman leads their gang. He led policemen to arrest Adeki.

Okoro and Kito were arrested while robbing at 46 Adenekan Street, Alakuko, around 7pm on Independence Day.

One Marakov pistol with live ammunition and a shot gun with five live cartridges were recovered from the suspects.

Braide confirmed the death of a suspected robber, who was killed during a gun duel with the police.

She said: “Policemen attached to Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS), Ikeja and 43 Police Mobile Force (PMF) Lion Building, responded to a distress call at No.1, Shogunle Street Ikeja around 8:30pm.

“There was a shootout with robbers who were operating at that time, during which one of the robbers was hit by bullet and he died instantly, while the others escaped with bullet wounds”.

Braide said the cases are being investigated at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.