Posted by By GABRIEL DIKE,Osogbo on
A chieftain of Action Congress (AC) in Osun State elder brother of the party's gubernatorial running mate in the April 14, 2007 election, Mr Sunday Olaoye was on Friday arraigned at an Osogbo Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly masterminding the bomb explosion which rocked the state Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo on June 14 2007.
A chieftain of Action Congress (AC) in Osun State elder brother of the party's gubernatorial running mate in the April 14, 2007 election, Mr Sunday Olaoye was on Friday arraigned at an Osogbo Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly masterminding the bomb explosion which rocked the state Government Secretariat, Abere, Osogbo on June 14 2007.
Olaoye, the elder brother of Mr Titi Olaoye-Tomori, AC deputy governorship candidate in the 2007 election was charged along with Richard Abayomi Adesanmi who had been standing trial in the case.
According to the prosecutor, the 61 year -old Olaoye was alleged to have conspired with Richard Abayomi to commit felony on the June 14, 2007 to plant a bomb at the state secretariat at about 10.30 am.
The bomb blast which was hidden inside a Peugeot 505 salon car , killed one person and injured another.
The prosecution also alleged that the two accused persons, conspired with others now at large with intent to commit felony, had in their possession some explosive substance.
The prosecutor, Mr Ayuba Adekunle, a Deputy Superintendent of Police urged the court to remand Olaoye in police custody as his being there would fasten police investigations on the matter.
The counsels preferred that the accused person be kept in prison custody arguing that the prosecutor should not direct the discretion of the court.
The trial Magistrate, Mr Olapoju Akintayo however ordered that Olaoye should be remanded in police custody pending his arraignment at the High court.
The case was adjourned indefinitely. Meanwhile the other accused person who had been standing trial in the case, Richard Abayomi Adesanmi was not present in court as the prosecution counsel, Mr Biodun Badiora informed the court that he was indisposed and terribly ill.
However, defence counsel to the accused person, Mr Wilson Atirene urged the court to direct the state government to take proper care of his client stressing that he needed to undergo medical surgery on one of his eyes damaged by the explosion.
It would be recalled that the police on Wednesday began a manhunt of some chieftains of AC over their alleged involvement in the blast while the State Criminal Investigating Department (CID) invited two AC lawmakers of the state House of Assembly.
But the Osun State Police Command through the Public Relations Officer, Mr.Joshua Olayemi told newsmen that the police was not involved in the clampdown of AC chieftains over the bomb blast and was not party to any fresh investigations as it has concluded investigatios into the case.