Posted by By ADESINA AIYEKOTI on
Eleven persons, including two leaders of the militant Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Fredrick Fasehun and Gani Adams, were Thursday ordered to be remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos.
Eleven persons, including two leaders of the militant Odua Peoples Congress (OPC), Fredrick Fasehun and Gani Adams, were Thursday ordered to be remanded at the Kirikiri Maximum Prison, Lagos.
The order was made by an Igbosere Chief Magistrate, Mr Akintunde Isaac following an application brought by the Commissioner of Police under Section 236 (3) of Criminal procedure Law Cap C18, Vol II, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
Others, who are to be kept behind the bars till November 21, this year include the Chairman Iyana Ipaja unit of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Muraino Komolafe, Oluwatoyin Osoba, Samsindeen Opeloyeru, Aremu Niyi-Oba, Edward Ajayi Olushola, Alhaji Mudashiru Adeniji, Chief Wahab Isiaka and Oyinlola Awe.
Presenting the prosecution case before the trial chief magistrate, adducing reason why the accused persons should be remanded, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, Columbus O. Okaro submitted that Fasehun, Adams and others, were facing serious criminal offences, which required more time by the police for investigation.
"The accused persons should be remanded pending the outcome of the advice from the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP)," he pleaded.
Counsel representing the accused persons, led by Chief Fred Agbeyegbe and Wahab Shittu, also made legal efforts to secure freedom for the suspects, but the chief magistrate ruled against them.
Dismissing the arguments canvassed by the defence team that the application brought by the prosecution was unknown to law, Chief Magistrate Isaac held that the prosecution had established the procedural requirement to obtain his consent to remand the accused persons in prison custody.
He said from the records before him, the accused persons are being held for indictable offence ranging from murder and arson.
Armed anti-riot policemen numbering over 200 condoned the vicinity of the court premises as early as 8.00a.m with the armoured personnel carrier on standby. The supporters of the OPC also besieged the area, chanting solidarity songs. At the conclusion of the trial, all the accused persons were taken away in a fiat bus marked "The Nigerian Police Interpol, registered AJ 388 MKD.
• Gov. Adamu Aliero of Kebbi State (left) with the Executive Director Programming of NTA Mr. Peter Igho (Right) at the flagg off of shooting of International Tele-Movie on the Cultural Values of the State held in Argungu recently