Kolade Johnson: Court remands suspected killer cop

An Ebute-Meta Magistrates’ Court, Lagos Monday extended till June 10, its remand order against a dismissed Police Inspector, Olalekan Ogunyemi, accused of killing a football fan, Kolade Johnson.

This means that Ogunyemi, 45, who has already spent 30 days in Ikoyi Prison custody following his remand by the court on April 5, will now stay in custody for 35 more days or 65 days in total.

Magistrate A.O. Salawu extended the remand order because the advice on the case which was expected from the Office of the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is not yet out.

Ogunyemi was not in court yesterday and no reason was given by the police, for his absence.

The suspect, of No. 17, Alhaji Ede Street, Igando, was brought before the court on April 6, on a temporary one-count charge of murder. Prosecuting Inspector Kehinde Olatunde alleged that he committed the offence on March 31, at about 5:10pm, at Onipetesi Estate, Idi-Mangoro, Lagos.

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Olatunde alleged that Ogunyemi, who served in the Anti-Cultism Unit of the Lagos State Police Command, shot Johnson, a 36-year-old father of one, to death, with his Ak47 rifle.

The offences, the prosecutor said, contravened Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.Olatunde informed the court that he had a remand application order to detain the defendant for 30 days.

The plea of the defendant was not taken by the court, because magistrates’ court have no jurisdiction to try a charge of murder. But the defendant’s counsel, Sola Adeyemi, opposed the remand request.

Adeyemi prayed the court to instead remand the defendant for the next 14 days. In a bench ruling, Magistrate Salawu upheld the prosecutor’s application and adjourned till yesterday for the DPP’s advice.