THE police in Ogun State have arrested a nurse for allegedly stealing a day-old baby at Arogun, Ewekoro Local Government Area, in her desperation to have a child for her wealthy husband.
The suspect, who is the proprietress of a private maternity in the community, was apprehended by police detectives attached to the Ewekoro Division.
She was said to have stolen the baby after she delivered the mother of the baby in her maternity on June 13.
Police spokesman Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who spoke to reporters yesterday, said the suspect was arrested on Friday and the baby was rescued safely.
Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), added that the suspect deceived the baby’s mother that she had a stillbirth.
He added that the mother of the baby was later informed that the suspect stole her baby” and the police immediately arrested her when notified about the theft.
The police spokesman added: “The good sympathisers in the community noticed that the suspect, who was never pregnant, suddenly started nursing a baby that she could not even breast feed. They informed the mother, who later reported the case to the police in Ewekoro on August 7.
“In the course of police investigation, it was shown that the suspect, a mother of seven, had issues with her initial marriage and got married to another ‘rich man’, whom she wanted to have a baby for.
“The police operatives, who made professional moves, have recovered the baby unhurt. The suspect has given credible statement that will assist the police and the matter will soon be charged to court.
“The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State, Abdulmajid Ali, has commended the operatives for the good job they did and directed that a proper investigation be carried out to get information required in the prosecution of the case.
“Ali has also urged owners of hospitals or maternity homes to operate legally and always employ credible and trusted nurses and workers, who will be committed to their duties and respect the ethics of their professions and the laws of the land.”
The Police said they have foiled an attempt to kidnap an Indian national in Ikorodu at the weekend.
They also said a suspect had been arrested in connection with the crime.
The state command’s spokesperson, Patricia Amadin, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that a staff member of De-Star Metal Company, Odonla in Ikorodu, with others still at large were in involved in the nefarious activity.
She said the Divisional Police Officer at Sagamu Road Station in Ikorodu got a tip-off of the kidnap and swung into action.
She said: “A man simply identified as Timothy, 35, an old employee of the company, had planned with three other men to kidnap an Indian national working in the company in order to demand a ransom from the company.
“Immediately the report was received, the DPO swung into action and began investigations to get the details. On August 6, police detectives from the station visited the company and Timothy was arrested.’’
Amadin said the suspect had made some useful statements to the police on the kidnap bid.
The spokesperson said a man-hunt had been launched for the fleeing members of the gang.
The policeman whose picture went viral on social media for allegedly being drunk on Friday has been arrested.
The yet-to-be identified officer was photographed by a Twitter user in Amuwo Odofin and shared on @Gidi_Traffic Twitter handle. He was seated on a motorcycle with another officer supporting him.
According to the post, the officer who was dressed in police uniform, was drunk and staggering to the point that onlookers had to assist his other colleague to prevent him from falling.
He was however arrested after the attention of the Commissioner, Fatai Owoseni was drawn to the picture.
The police boss, it was learnt, immediately ordered the X-Squad leader to identify the officer and detain him for interrogation.
It was gathered that the newly deployed CP who has embarked on tour of the various divisions across the state, has also caught about three Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) drunk on duty.
Owoseni, The Nation gathered had gone on most of his tours without informing the DPOs, thereby, catching most of them in one illegality or the other.
It was also learnt that police officers who engaged in bribery and extortion of commercial motorists, as well as arbitrary arrests are being arrested across the state.
A source told The Nation that Oweseni has given orders for the bundling of police personnel around Okota, Isolo and Ejigbo who rip off innocent citizens with impunity, adding that most of them have been arrested already.
Confirming the arrest of the drunk officer, the state command’s spokesperson, DSP Patricia Ikpowansa-Amadin, said he was being interrogated.
”He has been arrested and will be investigated. He was alleged to have been drunk so that’s what he’s being investigated for.
“There are a myriad of punishments that he could face according to the Police Act and Regulations, and the adjudicating officer is at liberty to choose from those punishments if he is found guilty,” she said.
The Police in Ogun have arrested a nurse, Adebola Titilayo, for stealing a new born baby shortly after delivery in Arogun village, Ogun state in desperation to have a child for her wealthy husband.
Adebola who is the proprietress of a private Maternity in Arogun community in Ewekoro Local Government Area of the state, was apprehended by Police detectives attached to the Ewekoro Division of Ogun State Police Command.
She was said to have stolen the child after delivering the mother of the baby in her (Adebola) maternity last June 13.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed the arrest to reporters on Sunday, said the suspect was arrested last Friday while the baby was also rescued safely.
Adejobi, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), added that the suspect had lied and deceived the mother of the baby that she had a still birth and that the baby was dead.
According to the Police Image maker, the biological mother of the baby later got reliable information that the suspect stole her baby and the Police immediately arrested her when notified about the theft.
Adejobi said:”the good sympathizers in the community noticed that the nurse (suspect) who was never pregnant suddenly started nursing a baby that she could not even breast feed. They informed the mother who later reported the case to the police in Ewekoro on 7th August,2015
“In the course of police investigation, It has been revealed that the suspect, a mother of seven(7), had issues with her initial marriage and got married to another “rich” man, whom the nurse wanted to have at least a baby for him, for reasons known to her.
“The police Operatives, who made professional moves, have recovered the baby alive and unhurt. The suspect has given credible statement that will assist the police and the matter will soon be charged to court.
“The Commissioner of Police Ogun State, Abdulmajid Ali, has commended the police operatives for the good Job they did and directed that a proper investigation be carried out so as to get useful information required in the prosecution of the case.
” Ali has also charged owners of hospitals or maternity homes to operate legally and always employ credible and trusted nurses and staff who will be committed to their duties and respect the ethics of their professions and the laws of the land.”
Barely 60 days into the administration of Governor Benedict Ayade, Cross River State is already at home with good governance. Hopes are very high and life is again full of optimism for the common man. The handwriting is also clear that his 100 days in office will be a celebration of accomplishments and not disappointments. Cross-River state is indeed promising to be the next hub of business activities.
Apparently because of his background, coming from a humble one that cherishes love for each other, Governor Ayade has passionately promised to focus on elevating the lives of the poor people. One of his strategies therefore is to generate employment for the common man so they could afford an averagely decent life.
In his words during his May 29 2015 inauguration, he promised that: “we would create a new agenda that is friendly to the people of Cross River state. We shall, with this opportunity given us by the people create a new agenda, that focuses on the poor by making the means of the production easy and affordable to move our people forward because of the moment has come for us to stop the poverty ravaging our people.”
Those who know him well say the governor, born as Benedict ‘Begioshuye’ Ayade, has a ‘midas touch’, which turns anything he laid his hands on, into gold. His father, Mr Akinsheye Peter Ayade had prophetically named him ‘Begioshuye’ meaning, “we don’t know tomorrow” or better still, “Tomorrow is pregnant.”
His first step towards making the tomorrow of the Cross Riverians better and ending theircircle of perennial poverty and unemployment is the establishment of a state-owned Garment factory. The Governor has initiated the garment factory, added to the Green Police initiative. These schemes are promising to soothe the anxiety of unemployment in the state with over 3,000 jobs.
By the end of August 2015, when the Governor will be preparing to celebrate his first 100 days in office, the garment factory will also be getting ready for those whose lives will be saying ‘good bye’ to poverty and unemployment. That is a promise assured, as Ayade is putting finishing touches for the final take off of the new revolutionary factory.
The garment factory will echo a lot of economic sounds, even beyond Cross Rivers State. The nation as a whole will benefit from its success storysays Barrister Gerald Ike, a resident of Calabar, even as economists have started putting the likely value it will add to Nigeria’s GPA on paper.
The direction of the governor’s passion was clearly defined when he spoke with the representatives of the host communities at the project site along Goodluck Jonathan Bypass. He told them; “upon completion, the Calabar garment factory is expected to generate about 1,000 jobs, the bulk of which would be women, particularly widows.”
Ayade also confided in the host communities that the inauguration of the factory was one of the projects he designed to celebrate his first 100 days in office with. The good news is that, the equipment for the factory has already been procured.
As an individual, the same way he defeated poverty using his God-given skills, intelligence and courage, he was also going to extinguish poverty for the state as Governor.
Today, the expectations of his late father; Mr. Akiasheye Peter Ayade, has fallen on the positive side of history as the Governor has proved that he was born to conquer.
Yakubu Ejemba, a taxi driver in Calabar and popularly called “Okadigbo” because of his eloquence in the vein of late Chuba Okadigbo, said: “We the masses are ready to follow this governor (Ayade) because each time he talks he gives we the commoners hope that one day, we will leave this poverty. And that is what he is doing with this garment company. The garment industry will provide new opportunities for me and my fellow taxi drivers in this state.”
For Madam Rose Uko, “the garment factory being a reality will be a great booster for the poor people of the state. It will alleviate the sufferings of those of us who don’t have people to cater for us.We are eager and excitedly looking forward to the factory taking off.l am particularly happy because the governor said we the poor women in Cross River will be the greatest beneficiaries.”
Another resident in the host community along Goodluck Jonathan Bypass, Agede Ushie, explained that the establishment of the garment factory would be a major avenue to empowering women in the state and reinventing the culture of cotton-economy which Nigeria was known for in the past. Ushie however pleaded that the Federal Government should assisted the governor to make it a reality so that Nigeria can divest from oil economy.
While explaining his rationale for this project, Ayade said “Africa remains that little young child that is helpless, bearing the brunt of climate change in spite of the fact that they are not the major contributors.”
“I can imagine the effort that we are putting with over 600,000 hectares of forest as a state. It is disturbing because we are forest-dependent; we are starting a Green Police. We are putting in place so much to sustain the forest. We are starting a Green Festival and it has never happened before,” he added.
The Green Festival will be held on the 32-day of the popular Calabar Festival, with about 10,000 people carrying young plants, dressed in green which depicts a brand new forest of 10,000 trees and those who plant them will be encouraged to come back the following year to see they have grown after one year.
The Cross River State Government is seeking the services of young qualified personnel to fill the position of cadets in the newly established Cross River State Green Police with the mandates to enforce environmental sustainability laws and regulations, implements the Green Carnival and Ball, monitoring and controlling all environmental activities, refuse management and noise control.
The Green Police will also ensure “cleanliness of the city centers, conducts environmental audits and patrols, ensures drains, streets, verges, open areas, markets, abattoirs are kept in standard state, promotes carbon sequestration efforts, ensures environmental sanitation, and implement urban afforestation and tree planting.”
Buttressing the importance of the scheme, Governor Ayade said: “Nigeria’s forests reserve is fast depleting with about 90% already lost to deforestation. Cross River State is proud to be home to over 50% of the country’s remaining rain forest. The Cross River State Forest has been adjudged as one of 25 biodiversity hotspots in the world. Therefore, the State Government is desirous of ensuring sustainable economic value from the forests.
“The State Government’s vision within the renewed partnership with the United Nations REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation) programme is to create catalytic footprints in this space through a regimented afforestation initiative with a sustainable, community-based enforcement team – the Green Police.”
Some young Cross Riverians who are hoping to work as Green Policemen have hailed the governor for the initiative and expressed satisfaction that the scheme would be a very positive channel to addressing the increasing unemployment in the state.
Iyo Ita sees the green police as a very commendable initiative and it would add great value to the state and her young people. “It is a very interesting avenue to protecting our forestry.l am in total support of the program and encourage the governor one hundred percent.”
For Bassey Archibong, “Governor Ayade is also a man of tomorrow in today’s world.”
The Delta Police Command has issued security alert over the activities of a criminal syndicate disguising as disabled persons to rob unsuspecting members of the public.
The Command spokesperson, DSP Celestina Kalu, in a statement in Asaba, said the syndicate, which comprised of a man and a woman, operate by boarding commercial buses and robbing passengers at gunpoint.
“The Delta State Police Command wishes to alert the general public, particularly transport companies operating in the southern part of the country of the activities of a criminal syndicate.
“The syndicate comprised of a young man who uses clutches and a young woman. Their modus operandi is to charter commercial buses from any part of the region under the guise of coming to Agbor in Delta State.
“They pretend to be coming to Agbor to pack their belongings, only to end up robbing their unsuspecting victims/drivers,” Kalu said.
The police spokesperson said that information at the disposal of the command revealed that the criminal syndicate recently chartered a driver from Ilorin to Agbor and robbed him of his vehicle.
She urged the public to report to the nearest police station or security agency if they come in contact with the syndicate.
The police in Anambra State have paraded 34 persons allegedly involved in cult activities, kidnapping and car snatching.
Most of the suspects were underaged students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and Federal Polytechnic, Oko.
Others were arrested at Obosi in Idemili North for offences connected with hemp trafficking.
Items recovered included charms, ancient pistols, ammunition and Indian hemp.
Parading the suspects yesterday, Police Commissioner Hosea Karma said some of the cultists were under aged students of two higher institutions while others were members of high syndicate gangs.
Karma said the police would collaborate with other security organisations to flush out criminals.
He said the command would track gang members who were on the run, even as he appreciated Governor Willie Obiano for his assistance to security agencies.
Meanwhile, 48 suspected cultists, brought to the police station by the Obosi Town Union President, Dan Igbokwubile, have denounced cultism.
They pledged to assist the community and police to fight crime.
Following protests by workers of the national secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abuja, policemen have taken over the secretariat.
The workers are protesting alleged corrupt practices of the party leaders and they have threatened to drag them to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
According to the protesters, a circular signed by the party’s National Secretary, Prof. Wale Oladipo, conveyed the party’s decision to slash their salary by 50 per cent and reduce the workforce by half.
But the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), in a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, vowed to see the matter to a logical conclusion.
The statement reads: “The attention of the NWC has been drawn to the unnecessary and unfortunate reactions of junior, intermediate and supervisory members of staff under the auspices of PDP Staff Welfare Committee in reaction to NWC directive on reorganisation and restructuring of the party.
“The NWC appreciates the concerns of stakeholders and assures members that it will not be deterred in its sworn responsibility to reposition, re-organise and re-structure the party.
“For the purpose of clarity, the process of staff re-organisation is a sub-component of the reform process in the party. Consequently, the NWC affirms that the internal memo emanating from the office of the National Secretary stands.
“The NWC will not be deterred, blackmailed or cowed from taking objective steps necessary for sound political health, astute opposition and general re-organisation.
“NWC assures members and Nigerians that finances of the party have been handled in line with standard financial regulations governing political parties and the Constitution of the PDP.
“Subsequently, as custodians of the PDP Constitution, the NWC will be guided by the provisions of the Constitution in dealing with all matters related to staff, especially schedule IV (staff rules) of the 2012 Constitution as amended”.
The workers and party leaders have been at war since the circular was distributed last Wednesday.
The arrest and detention of former chairman of the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Ekiti State, Chief Rotimi Olanbiwonnu, popularly known as Mentilo, sparked a controversy as his family alleged victimisation. But government maintains that he has a case to answer. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports.
For the ex-chairman of Ekiti State chapter of the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN), Chief Joseph Rotimi Olanbiwonnu and members of his household, invasion of their privacy in the dead of the night on Monday, July 27 was the least they expected.
Members of his family had retired to bed and were looking forward to seeing a new day to conduct their various businesses.
Policemen, armed to the teeth, stormed his residence in Ado-Ekiti at 12:30 in the morning and whisked him off, to the consternation of the bewildered members of his family.
A shouting-match ensued between the policemen and the Olanbiwonnu’s household on the propriety or otherwise of the arrest of the head of the family without any search warrant or warrant of arrest.
The former RTEAN chief was said to be wearing only his knickers at the time the policemen stormed his residence. He had to dress-up before he was taken away in the presence of members of his family.
The state government claims that Olanbiwonnu was arrested in connection with the killing of the former chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Chief Philip Omolafe Aderiye on September 25, last year.
But that claim is being vehemently disputed and denied by the Olanbiwonnus who alleged that the arrest and detention of their breadwinner was politically-motivated.
The family maintained that Olanbiwonnu’s arrest was a political vendetta and an attempt to punish him for his perceived closeness and support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) when the party was in power and during the June 21, 2014 governorship election in the state.
Prior to the governorship election, the leadership of the two unions-RTEAN and NURTW- supported different parties. While the RTEAN backed the APC, the NURTW supported the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
It was alleged that the late Aderiye had been having issues with the leadership of the NURTW after he had ended his tenure and succeeded by Mr. Julius Jegede.
The late Aderiye was said to have set up a private bus park in Ijigbo area of Ado-Ekiti, the state capital and floated a transport company known as Lafe Ade Transport Services which did not go down well with NURTW, which saw the step as “an affront.”
He had running battles with men of the NURTW on the private bus park he established till the period of the election. The late Aderiye had been an ally of Governor Ayo Fayose during his first term and after he (Fayose) had left office.
The latest governorship bid of Fayose was another opportunity for Aderiye to assert himself in the politics of transport unions and he (Aderiye) mobilised financial and human resources for Fayose’s election.
Rumours were rife in the political circles of the state that Aderiye’s name had been pencilled in as the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation after Fayose might have been sworn in which would give him full control of transport unions in the state as a reward for his support.
These were the issues on ground until that fateful day of September 25, last year when unknown gunmen killed Aderiye right inside his private bus park; a killing which sparked an orgy of violence in Ado-Ekiti for about two days.
Houses and properties of people perceived to be unfriendly with Aderiye were burnt down and among the victims who suffered the attack were the former caretaker chairman of RTEAN, Mr. Bayo Aderiye, popularly known as Ojugo and Olanbiwonnu who had left office before Ojugo took over.
Ojugo was arrested alongside the state leader of the O’odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Prince Adeniyi Adedipe popularly known as “Apase O’odua”.
At a funeral service held in honour of the late Aderiye at the Cathedral Church of Emmanuel (Anglican Communion), Okesa, Ado-Ekiti shortly after being sworn into office, Fayose had vowed to bring all those linked with Aderiye’s murder to justice.
The latest arrest of Olanbiwonnu is believed to be the fulfilment of that promise but the supporters and members of the former RTEAN chairman are crying foul, maintaining that he had no hand in Aderiye’s death.
Olanbiwonnu’s sympathisers alleged that Aderiye’s killing was connected with the internal wrangling in the NURTW and that he (Olanbiwonnu) had since left office as RTEAN boss.
The family of the former RTEAN chair claimed that a police report on the September 25 murder had exonerated him from complicity in the alleged murder; wondering the sudden twist of event that led to his arrest and remand in prison.
The Olanbiwonnus further maintained that their patriarch had no hand in Aderiye’s death, wondering why it took about 10 months before he was arrested, adding that “those who killed Aderiye are walking freely on the streets while an innocent man is being punished for what he knew nothing about.”
Speaking with Southwest Report, Olanbiwonnu’s wife, Falilat Eniola attributed her husband’s refusal to work in support of Governor Ayo Fayose’s governorship ambition as the reason for his arrest and detention.
Mrs. Olanbiwonnu wondered how the former RTEAN chief could be arrested without any police investigation and remanded in prison “in a decent society”.
Mrs Olanbiwonnu
According to Mrs. Olanbiwonnu, Fayose has been allegedly looking for ways to ‘deal’ with her husband; alleging that the fear that her husband would disrupt the planned inauguration of the new RTEAN executive held on penultimate Thursday was another reason for the arrest.
She also added that the policemen who came to arrest her husband did not produce any warrant for search and arrest.
Mrs Olanbiwonnu said: “I don’t know what Fayose wants again after our houses were burnt and our cars destroyed last year. Why are they doing this again?
“Definitely, it has a political undertone because of my husband’s affinity with the APC. My husband was not the only RTEAN on their wanted list but they didn’t arrest others because they had gone to pledge their loyalty to Fayose.
“His arrest has political undertone, the governor had always complained that my husband did not support him and my husband has been threatened several times and my husband said he is a decent man and will not associate with indecent people.
“Since the attack on our homes and property last year, I could no longer sleep in our house because of the fear of the unknown. Help me beg Fayose to leave us alone and release my husband. He should look elsewhere for Aderiye’s killers.
“We heard that RTEAN was planning to hold a swearing-in of new executive and my husband was RTEAN Vice-President 1 for Nigeria, RTEAN Southwest chairman and RTEAN caretaker chairman for Oyo State and he used to attend the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting.
“Daddy (Olanbiwonnu) called Agbede (the new Ekiti RTEAN chairman) that he (Agbede) wants to be sworn in without informing him as a former state chairman.
“My husband was arrested because they feared he would go there to disrupt it and he had no intention of doing such thing. We just saw armed policemen invading our home without any warrant of arrest and the next thing to happen was that he was charged to a Magistrate’s Court.”
Olanbiwonnu’s son, Olayide, claimed that he challenged those who came to arrest his father at a “very unholy hour” to produce a warrant of arrest and search warrant which they could not.
Olaide said: “They forced our door open and dragged me out of the house. They said I am not the suspect; that they came for my father.
“Since my father has nothing to fear, he came out and they arrested him almost naked. But they allowed him to go into the house to dress-up before they took him away around 12.55 a.m.”.
He said his father is being victimised unjustly and being punished for committing no crime.
According to him, life has not been the same since the dramatic arrest in the early hours of Monday.
He insisted that his father had no hand in the killing of the former chairman of state NURTW Aderiye as being alleged by the government.
Olaide expressed anger that his father was being victimized because of his perceived closeness to the APC administration led by former Governor Kayode Fayemi.
Olaide stressed that the first Police Report exonerated members of the opposition and sympathisers earlier accused by the Ayo Fayose government of being involved in Aderiye’s murder.
Olaide wondered why the sudden turnaround in a “desperate bid to hang a murder charge on the neck of an innocent man.”
He also claimed that his father’s arrest and detention might not be unconnected with what he called “an unfounded fear” in government circles that he (Olanbiwonnu) harboured plan to prevent the inauguration of new RTEAN executive.
Olaide described his father as a “man of peace” who would never subscribe to violence, saying since the former RTEAN concluded his tenure in office, he has been living his life quietly having served the union meritoriously.
He said: “The arrest of my father was politically-motivated and this is very unfortunate that this is happening in a democracy. We are not under the military era in which people are victimised anyhow.
“How can somebody’s privacy be invaded without any search warrant or any warrant of arrest? How appropriate is it for an innocent man to be arrested at an unholy hour because of desperation to hang a frivolous murder charge on him?
“My father has no problem with anybody and has no reason to kill anybody as he and other people had been cleared of complicity by the police.
“We, the members of the Olanbiwonnu family are demanding his unconditional release because his arrest was politically-motivated and government should look elsewhere in search of the culprits. My father has no hand in anybody’s killing.”
The police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi said: “I only heard that he (Olanbiwonnu) was arrested and charged to court. That is the only thing I can say for now.”
The Commissioner for Information, Youth and Sport, Lanre Ogunsuyi, said justice must be done to the person that was killed (Aderiye) and his family who are still mourning him.
Ogunsuyi explained that government has a duty to assist the police and the judiciary to ensure that justice is done.
He maintained that the police and the judiciary must be allowed to do their jobs and no political meaning should be read into the unfolding scenario.
He said: “If the police are informed about any crime that was committed, they have the power to investigate such information. I want you to know that some people have been murdered.
“They too had used government against people in the past, but justice must run its full course. It is the duty of government to ensure that justice is done to those whose family members were killed.”
Olanbiwonnu was later arraigned at Magistrate’s Court 2, in Ado-Ekiti the same Monday morning he was arrested.
While addressing the court, the defence counsel, Niran Owoseni, raised preliminary objection that as at the time his client was brought to the court, case on the matter has been concluded.
The presiding Magistrate, Idowu Aiyenimon, later adjourned the matter till Friday last week, when the defence counsel is expected to bring a letter to the court to that effect.
Speaking with reporters after the court session, Owoseni said the action of government was an attempt to incarcerate his client and put him out of circulation.
He noted that “what the state is trying to do is the abuse of court processes”, adding that some people have been charged on the matter and legal advice was out.
Owoseni, however, wondered why the state should bring out his client on the same matter, or is it that the late Omolafe Aderiye died two times.
The police prosecutor, Sergeant Bankole Olasukanmi, prosecuted the matter. The court proceeding on Friday was dramatic as the legal team of Olanbiwonnu raised a preliminary objection to the notice of remand filed by the state.
The courtroom was filled to capacity by supporters, friends, associates and family members of Olanbiwonnu who came to witness the court proceedings.
Olanbiwonnu’s lead counsel at the Friday’s proceeding, Lekan Olatawura, said his objection was predicated on Section 264(1) of the Ekiti State Administration of Justice Law 2014.
Olatawura argued that there was a pending legal advice as regards the murder of Aderiye, saying the presence of legal advice has not been denied by the state in its counter-affidavit.
According to Defence counsel, in the Exhibit EO2, which is the legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution, Adeniyi Familoni, the names of the key suspects were stated clearly and the name of the applicant (Olanbiwonnu) was not there.
Olatawura argued further: “If there is nothing by way of advice, you cannot come by way of remand in order to incarcerate the applicant. There was no direct evidence linking the applicant with the offence.
“It is an abuse of process for the police to remand the accused person as cited in the case of Snaefule v the State as reported in 2005 4 ACLR page 96 particularly at page 121.
“When there is legal advice, they had already filed a process. Why rushing? The legal advice does not include or does not mention the accused person/applicant as being involved.
“Looking at the application for remand (Form FK), it is defective. The police, under Section 254 are to prepare grounds for the remand of the accused but in respect of this, there was nothing like that.
“It is an attempt to hoodwink the court and the information provided is misleading.
“Looking at the counter-affidavit of Ayobami Agbekumi of the Ministry of Justice, paragraph xii, Exhibit OE1 (our own application), a letter from the Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) to DPP for legal advice, nowhere is the accused person mentioned and he was not indicted.
“It is an abuse of process, particularly in view of Section 74(2) of ACJ for the accused person to be remanded and this is proper in view of Section 36 of the Constitution which presumes the innocence of every accused person.
“The DPP did not mention the name of the accused person and to entertain the remand application is an infringement on the right of the accused person. He can’t be unjustifiably sent to prison on remand.
“It is unfair to be using legal process to curtail the freedom of somebody who has been living in Ado-Ekiti and he has never run to anywhere. It behoves the state to prove to the court the efforts it has made to arrest the suspects.”
Responding to the submission of the defence counsel, government counsel, Ibironke Babatunde, a senior legal officer in the Ministry of Justice, told the court that the prosecution has filed a nine-paragraph counter-affidavit deposed to by Ayobami Agbekumi dated July 31 and filed same day which was attached with two exhibits.
Babatunde said: “We rely on all paragraphs of our counter-affidavit. It will be irregular to hold that the accused persons contained in this case HAD/12C/2014 are the only people suspected to have committed the offence for which they are charged.
“Ever since the incident occurred, the applicants have been at large. We have to charge them in the court pending when other witnesses’ statements will be filed.
“It was right to have charged the accused and bringing the accused to remand is not an abuse of court process and I want to cite the case of Lufadeju v Johnson as reported in 2007 8 NWLR part 1937 page 566 paragraphs A-J.
After listening to lawyers to both parties, Magistrate Ayenimo adjourned to August 17 for ruling.
As the legal fireworks rage on in the court, the state chapter of the APC has criticised the manner Olanbiwonnu was arrested and detained.
The party raised the alarm over what it called ”reckless clampdown on its leaders and supporters by Fayose”, saying “the hounding of its leaders into jail is a fulfilment of the governor’s declaration at his inauguration ceremony last year to run APC leaders out of the state”.
A statement by the Publicity Secretary of the party, Taiwo Olatubosun said the alarm became imperative in the face of persistent victimisation of APC members arrested on trumped-up charges that saw them end up in jail.
Reacting to the arrest and detention of Olanbiwonnu, he said: “Governor Fayose at his inauguration ceremony in October last year, publicly declared a one-minute silence for the death of APC in the state, promising to send the party members out of town.
“True to his declaration, no fewer than 10 leaders of our party have been hounded out of town while two are in jail over trumped-up charges, even as teachers that were perceived as having sympathy for APC were transferred to the remote areas of the state while the governor is still after Fayemi’s officials to seize their cars even when the matter is in court.
“This is the same way he wants to eject them from their housing estate homes against legal agreement in the purchase of their houses.
“His first victim was our chairman, Chief Jide Awe, who the governor implicated in the murder of Mrs Juliana Adewumi and Ayo Jeje in Erinjiyan-Ekiti, even when it was proven that Awe was out of the town when violence broke out among party rivals that claimed the lives of the victims,” he said.
Olatubosun said other persecutions followed in quick succession, including attacks on APC members and candidates during campaigns and destruction of candidates’ posters, while the APC Assembly candidates were not allowed to run their campaigns.
“Another top sympathiser of our party, Mr Rotimi Olanbiwonnu (aka Mentilo), was arrested over alleged complicity in the murder of the late leader of the drivers’ union, Omolafe Aderiye, who was killed by unknown assailants in September last year,” he explained.
Olatubosun expressed worry over police handling of the cases levelled against APC members, citing Niyi Adedipe’s case. He claimed that the police in cahoots with the governor allegedly conspired to ensure that the innocent man was clamped in jail over Aderiye’s murder.
He said: “Niyi Adedipe’s case is the cruellest of how to punish an innocent man. We understand that the first police report indicated that the late Omolafe was a victim of factional crisis within drivers’ union politics.
“We knew of how the police chose to be reporting to Fayose instead of Governor Kayode Fayemi immediately he became the Governor-elect and how Fayose rejected the first police report that exonerated the opposition members in Omolafe’s murder and then went ahead to coerce the police into implicating Niyi Adedipe, leaving out those the police recommended for prosecution after their investigation.
“The real suspects are walking free now while innocent Adedipe is rotting in jail.
“Hon. Folorunso Ogundele would have been in jail now over alleged complicity in murder in Efon after the Fayose government hired a woman to impersonate the mother of the victim to implicate Ogundele, but God saved him when the real mother of the deceased emerged to accuse the fake mother of impersonation.
“She told reporters that Ogundele had no hand in her son’s murder,” he explained.
Continuing, Olatunbosun said: “It is so bad that the concocted list of murder suspects kept increasing by the day at the whims and caprices of the Governor who had turned himself into a demigod.
“Whenever he wakes up and feels an opposition member should be in jail, such name will be added as a murder suspect and would be arraigned swiftly before a pliable Magistrate who would send the person to jail.”
The APC spokesman said it was worrisome that a pliable Magistrate could be “hurriedly procured” to send Sola Adenijo (aka Solar) to jail over Erinjiyan incident while the PDP masterminds of the violence were walking free.
Olatubosun concluded: “We are watching the judiciary again as one of our sympathisers is being held over trumped-up murder charge. The same police that are very active now to help Fayose achieve his agenda were helpless when we complained to them over indiscriminate attacks on our members.
“We call on the Inspector-General of Police, Solomon Arase, to intervene in the various cases against our members in Ekiti State because it is clear that the State Police Command is in firm grip of the governor and they are willing tools in the suppression of our party members to help the governor carry out his clampdown on the party leaders.”
But the current chairman of RTEAN, Pastor Rotimi Agbede, who spoke with Southwest Report shortly after he was sworn in to office described the allegation of the Olanbiwonnu’s family as a “figment of its imagination”.
Agbede said the case Olanbiwonnu is facing in the court is different from the celebration of the inauguration of the current RTEAN executive in the state, saying that the travails of the ex-chairman had nothing to do with the union.
He said: “I will not deny the fact that I was aware of the Olanbiwonnu family’s allegation, but it was a figment of its imagination.
“Mentilo has played his own part and he has retired, his travails have nothing to do with what we are celebrating today. He has no stake rather than trying to disrupt what we are doing.
“He has five per cent of support while we have 95 per cent. They can’t disrupt what we are doing here.
“I want you to remember that he is facing a murder charge and it has nothing to do with this celebration. They are just trying to connect it with this celebration.”
Responding to a question on alleged existence of factions in the state RTEAN, Agbede said: “I will not say there are no factions, but it was then. I had three predecessors, Ojugo was never a chairman; he was chairman of caretaker committee.”
Agbede said the association is solidly behind Fayose, saying Fayose’s positive disposition to drivers’ unions is the reason why his party, the PDP, will continue to rule Ekiti State and stage a comeback to power in Aso Rock in 2019.
POLICE in Oyo State have uncovered another kidnappers’ den, where atrocities were being committed at Oyagbe, Oyo town.
Commissioner of Police Muhammad Katsina, who led reporters to the den yesterday, said the place was a deserted hotel belonging to a businessman, Olatunji Kabiru, who is already in police custody.
The police chief added that his operatives had arrested five suspects in connection with the incident.
Katsina, while parading the suspects, added that a victim, Husseni Sani, was rescued from the suspected kidnappers.
The kidnappers, he said, came from Benin Republic through Kwara State before settling at the Atiba Local Government Area.
The police commissioner said: “Today, we are happy to announce that a ground-breaking discovery was made yet again and this time in Oyo town, where some wicked individuals kidnapped a fellow human for ransom.
“We have so far arrested five people connected with the crime, including the hotelier, and the victim is now in our custody.
The hotelier, who is a former councillor of Ward 1 of the council, said that the kidnappers came to him and asked for three rooms for two weeks.
He claimed that a deposit of N5,000 was paid to him.
Kabiru said that he was not aware that they were kidnappers and that he got to know about their activities when the police contacted him.
The kidnapped victim, who trades in cattle, lives at Ikoyi Ile in Kajoola Local Government.
He said he was kidnapped in Ogbomoso and fed with rice and Coke for 14 days.
Sani said the kidnappers demanded N1 million and threatened to kill him and his elder brother, if he was unable to pay.
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, hailed the police and other security agencies for arresting the suspected kidnappers.
He said the prompt move contributed to the discovery of the hideout, advising community’s members to be more careful in their activities.
“I thank men of the police and other security agencies for a job well done for bursting the crimes in this part of the state, which is very surprising to us in this area. The prompt actions of the police contributed to the immense discovery of the kidnappers. I must add that such people should not be allowed to exist in our societies.
“I have to say at this juncture that it is everybody’s duty to be alert over the happenings in their environment and keep the police informed about dangerous activities in their environment,” the Alaafin said.
