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Tag: murder suspects

  • Court grants bail to three murder suspects in Ekiti

    A State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has granted bail to three suspects accused of murder during the riot that trailed the boundary dispute between Ayede and Itaji communities in Oye Local Government Area on January 31.

    The three suspects: Joshua Akanbi, Abiodun Ogundaisi and Segun Ogundaisi were alleged to have murdered one Seyi Oladipo, during a bloody battle for the control of Orisunmibare farm settlement.

    At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, Justice Monisola Abodunde admitted the three suspects to bail in the sum of N500,000 and one surety each.

    The application for bail for the accused persons was filed and moved by their counsel, Mr. Sule Longe.

    Each of the surety, the judge ruled, must be a community leader, a title holder who must deposit his Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

    The judge held that the suspects must sign an undertaking to maintain peace throughout the period of the trial stressing that the court will not hesitate to revoke the bail if they caused trouble again. Justice Abodunde said the court exercised the right to grant them bail because of the health condition of the first defendant (Akanbi) who is receiving treatment from the Federal Teaching

    Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, on account of multiple injuries sustained during the communal clash. Before the ruling was delivered, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Adebayo Arogundade, applied to amend the charge filed against the accused persons which was granted by the court.

    The accused persons are standing trial on two-count charge of conspiracy and murder. Arogundade also told the court that of his readiness to call ten witnesses to give evidence in the case and prayed for a short date to assemble the witnesses. The court adjourned the case to November 6 and 7, for definite hearing.

  • Ekiti Boundary Dispute:  Three murder suspects granted bail

    Ekiti Boundary Dispute:  Three murder suspects granted bail

    An Ekiti State High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti has granted bail to three suspects accused of murder during the riot that trailed the boundary dispute between Ayede and Itaji communities in Oye Local Government Area on January 31.

    The three suspects: Joshua Akanbi, Abiodun Ogundaisi and Segun Ogundaisi were alleged to have murdered one Seyi Oladipo during the battle between the two communities for the control of Orisunmibare farm settlement.

    At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, Justice Monisola Abodunde admitted the three suspects to bail in the sum of N500, 000 and one surety each.

    The application for bail for the accused persons was filed and moved by their counsel, Mr. Sule Longe.

    Each of the surety, the judge ruled, must be a community leader, a title holder who must deposit his Certificate of Occupancy (C of O).

    She held that the suspects must sign an undertaking to maintain peace throughout the period of the trial stressing that the court will not hesitate to revoke the bail if they cause trouble again.

    Justice Abodunde said the court exercised the right to grant them accused bail because of the health condition of the first defendant (Akanbi) who is receiving treatment from the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti on account of multiple injuries sustained during
    the communal clash.

    Before the ruling was delivered, prosecution counsel, Mr. Adebayo Arogundade, applied to amend the charge filed against the accused persons which was granted by the court.

    The accused persons are standing trial on two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.

    Arogundade also told the court that of his readiness to call ten witnesses to give evidence in the case and prayed for a short date to assemble the witnesses.

    The court adjourned the case to 6th and 7th of November for definite hearing.

  • Families allege deliberate delay in trial of murder suspects

    •Court adjourns till Dec 19

    The non-adoption of briefs at the Ado-Ekiti Division of the Court of Appeal has stalled the trial of seven persons accused of conspiracy in the murder of former Ekiti State National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Omolafe Aderiye.
    The case could not go on at Ekiti State High Court 6 yesterday as Justice Adekanye Ogunmoye adjourned till December 19, pending conclusion of hearing at the appellate court.
    The accused are Adebayo Aderiye (first), Adeniyi Adedipe (second), Oso Farotimi (third), Ajayi Kayode (fourth), Sola Durodola (fifth), Rotimi Olanbiwonnu (sixth) and Sola Adenijo (seventh).
    The second accused is the state leader of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC); first and sixth accused are former state chairmen of the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN). They had been in custody for over two years.
    Prosecution counsel M.T. Alaaya told the court there was a motion pending at the Court of Appeal and called for an adjournment.
    Defence counsel Elijah Nworie said the Appeal Court was yet to adopt the briefs of argument.
    Justice Ogunmoye said the case would be on hold until the Court of Appeal disposed of the motion before it.
    Shortly after the court rose, families of the accused alleged a conspiracy between the government and authorities of the Ado-Ekiti Court of Appeal to stall hearing.
    Adedipe’s daughter, Oluwatoyin, urged the Ayo Fayose administration to release her dad and others, saying the family was suffering the over two-year incarceration of its bread winner.
    She said: “I got admission into the university but I could not pay because of my father’s detention in prison custody and we, the children, are crying daily.
    Olanbiwonnu’s son, Olaide, urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) and Court of Appeal in Abuja to intervene, accusing the Ekiti government of colluding with the Ado Ekiti Division to stall the case.
    Olaide said: “This is a delay tactic employed by the government; the accused should be the one delaying the matter but it is now the other way round.
    “We want to appeal to the Federal Government and NJC to intervene by investigating those at the Ado Ekiti Court of Appeal.
    Mrs. Seun Adenijo, who spoke on behalf of wives of the accused, alleged that the delay was deliberate as the motion was filed at the Appeal Court over five months ago.
    She said: “We believe the case is being intentionally delayed because over five months ago when the government filed the motion, they are yet to give a date of hearing.

  • Judge kicks over discontinuance of trial of Ekiti murder suspects

    Judge kicks over discontinuance of trial of Ekiti murder suspects

    Tongues are wagging in Ekiti State judicial circles following the discontinuance of trial of three persons charged to court for the murder of one Mrs. Rebecca Adewumi in Omuo-Ekiti in 2012.

    The late Mrs. Adewumi was hacked to death by a gang of youths known as ‘Imekula’ in the community who claimed that she was a witch. The suspected killers of the deceased were believed to be acting on the orders of some prominent individuals in Omuo.

    The deceased was accused of using witchcraft powers to ‘torment’ her stepson, Ola Adewumi, who later died of an undisclosed ailment.

    Three persons were later arraigned at an Ado Ekiti High Court for their alleged complicity in the killing of the late Mrs. Adewumi.

    They are Chief Olatunbosun Orojo, the Olisa of Ilisa Quarters, Omuo (1st accused person), Mrs. Ademola Adewumi (2nd accused person) and Feranmi Abe (3rd accused person).

    But trial had reached an advanced stage and was approaching judgment before the judiciary workers went on strike and shortly after the six-month strike was suspended, a Notice of Discontinuance of the murder case was issued by the Office of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice.

    The Notice of Discontinuance of the murder case was backed by a letter written and signed by a representative of the family of the late Mrs. Adewumi, one Gabriel Omokanju.

    The move to halt the case that was nearing judgment displeased the trial judge, Justice Monisola Oluwatoyin Abodunde who said although the accused “are discharged, they are not acquitted.”

    She said: “You are hereby discharged but not acquitted. You are discharged not on the basis of the merit of the case”.

    Justice Abodunde clarified the court was fully aware of the powers of the State Attorney General under Section 2(11) of the 1999 Constitution as Amended, to discontinue cases at whatever stage before judgment, noting he would not tamper with such (powers) as being exercised in the case.

    However, according to her, the move to settle the matter out-of-court came when the case had already attained an advanced stage as both the prosecution and defense had closed their case and 10 witnesses had been called and cross-examined.

    She regretted that the exercise of such prerogative by the Attorney General at such an advanced stage when judgment was already being awaited only meant a waste of time and resources of the court which would also affect expected returns to the National Judicial Council (NJC).

    Justice Bodunde observed there should be a stage in the trial of a case after which such powers could not be exercised by the Attorney General again, hinting at possibilities of initiating moves soonest to cause such limitations to further sanitise judicial processes.

    The State Counsel, Paul Alabi, had earlier informed the court about the Notice of Discontinuance and the supporting family letter.

    Alabi subsequent prayed the court that, based on the two documents, the accused persons be discharged, as both the prosecution and defense had already closed their case.

    He tendered apologies for the stress and the time already expended by the court on the matter.

    The defence counsel, Lekan Olatawura, supporting the prayer of the prosecution counsel, urged the court to discharge and acquit the accused persons.

  • Group tackles Delta Police over murder suspects

    A Warri-based civil rights group, Centre for Vulnerable and Underprivileged ,(Centrep) has raised the alarm over alleged attempt by the Delta Police Command to shield suspects involved in the  murder of the vice-chairman Oteri Community, Blessing Unuesefe.

    In a petition to the Inspector-General of Police,  co-ordinator of the group, Oghenejabor Ikimi , accused a top official of  the Ughelli vigilance group   and an accomplice of  the extra-judicial murder and disappearance of the corpse of the slain youth.

    According to Ikimi, the deceased was murdered on February 3rd, 2015 and the corpse mysteriously disappeared from the morgue of Central Hospital, Ughelli.

    The group alleged that two Hilux vans filled with members of the Ughelli vigilance group stormed the premises of the deceased ostensibly on a peace mission

    Ikimi said the deceased who had been  absent from home had  walked into his premises only to be shot dead  by the vigilance official after ascertaining that the deceased was alone.

    The group  claimed that men of the Nigeria Police at “A” Division, Ughelli  “have refused and/or failed to investigate same, as it seems that they are clearly taking sides with the said culprits.”

    Ikimi described the statements credited to Delta Police Command image-maker, DSP Kalu Tina to the effect that the slain youth was a cultist involved in a shootout as an ‘afterthought’.

    Ikimi urged the Inspector General of Police to investigate the conduct of the  persons mentioned in the petition over the death of the deceased with a view to prosecuting them, adding that the said persons do not have the constitutional rights to bear arms.

  • Anger over alleged release of murder suspects

    Anger over alleged release of murder suspects

    The people of Isinbode-Ekiti in Ekiti East Local Government Area have called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Suleiman Abba, to investigate the alleged killing of the driver of the traditional ruler of the community, Mr. Lawrence Ojo Olujobi.

    They are also demanding the trial of the alleged murderers of Olujobi who was killed on June 15, 2014.

    Olujobi, who left behind two widows, was trying to settle a quarrel between his attackers and another fellow in the community when he was hacked to death.

    His death sparked an orgy of violence in the community with irate youths vandalising the property of his suspected killers who were initially arrested but were later released.

    The release of the suspects from police custody is already causing tension in the community.

    The widows of the deceased, Mrs. Mosunmola Olujobi and Mrs. Fayoke Olujobi, in a petition to the IGP made available to The Nation in Ado-Ekiti, lamented that the suspected killers of their husband were released a day after their arrest “without proper investigation and no charge brought against them” for their alleged complicity.

    The petition was written on behalf of the widows by their solicitors, A.T. Lawal and Co.

    The petitioners wondered why the State Executive Council and Commissioner of Police issued a legal advice on the matter and the release of principal suspects when there was no pending criminal charge against them at the appropriate Magistrate Court.

     The widows said they were shocked that instead of the suspects to be arraigned in court to face murder charge, some members of the deceased’s family members were charged to court.

    The petitioners added: “To our chagrin, some members of the deceased’s family were arraigned before an Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court while those who facilitated the death of their husband were graciously released for no other reason but pecuniary interest, even when the complaint against them are yet to be fully investigated.”

    They urged the Inspector General of Police to step into the matter to allow the family get justice.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi, an Assistant Superintendent of Police, however, said the complainants  did not provide enough evidence to assist the command to get to the root of the matter.

    Babayemi said:”We  can’t prosecute on hearsay most especially in a murder case.The available evidence which resulted from the police investigation has been forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecutions(DPP).

    “Murder is a very heinous crime and it carries a capital punishment. There should be concrete and direct evidence linking the suspects to the murder.We don’t act on sentiment and emotion as people will want us to do but we cannot prosecute based on hearsay.

    He added:“The complainant did not provide enough assistance to enable us to get to the bottom of the matter. Yet, we went ahead to carry out our own investigation and we have some evidence available which we have sent to the DPP as stipulated by law.There must be an advice from the DPP to know whether to go ahead with the prosecution. What we are waiting for is the advice from the DPP because the evidence and the case file is with the DPP.”

  • Police arrest 56 murder suspects in Gombe

    The Gombe State Police Command has arrested 56 suspected members of a killer squad, the Kalare Gang, for alleged murder.

    The police said assorted weapons were recovered from the suspects, who have allegedly confessed to the murder of some residents.

    Addressing reporters in Gombe on the command’s activities, Police Commissioner Mohammed Sule said the suspects were arrested between April 1 and 9.

    “Those arrested include two of their ring leaders – Nasiru Ali Abubakar (aka Bakano) and his deputy, Abdulmalik Musa (aka Marleyday) – who have confessed to the murder of innocent persons in the state,” Sule said.

    The police chief said security operatives also cracked down on a nine-man gang of rapists allegedly led by Usman Umar (aka Nimi Saleh) and Abubakar Umar (aka Battes). They reportedly specialised in gang-raping women between 6.30pm and 11pm.

    Sule alleged that Nasiru Abdullahi and Bello Mohammed, said to be Keke NAPEP operators, were arrested as they attempted to kidnap a lady in Gombe, the state capital. He said the suspects carried the lady at BCGA area of the state capital.

    According to him, luck ran out on the suspected abductors as the police intercepted them at the eastern by-pass in the town when they attempted to escape with their victim.

    The police commissioner said some of the suspects have been charged to court while the others would also be arraigned as soon as investigation into the matter is concluded.

    He warned those sponsoring hoodlums to refrain because the command would treat them the same way under the law.

    The police chief advised parents and guardians to warn their children and wards to shun criminality.

    Sule also urged the public to give useful information that to the police to track down hoodlums in the society.