11th August, 2015
An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos State on Tuesday ordered the remand in Ikoyi Prisons of an alleged cult-member charged with the murder of Femi Egbekunle and Saliu Maja-during a street-fight.
The accused, Gbenga Shodiya, whose address was not disclosed, is facing a three-count charge bordering on murder and unlawful killing before Magistrate O.O.A. Fowowe-Erusiafe.
Fowowe-Erusiafe ordered that the accused be remanded at the Ikoyi Prisons for 30 days pending the receipt of legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
She also directed the prosecutor to duplicate the case file to be forwarded to the DPP for legal advice, saying the court lacked the jurisdiction to prosecute murder cases.
Earlier, the Prosecutor, Insp. G. Agoi, had told the court that the accused committed the offences on Feb. 14, at about 9.30 p.m., at Itire-Road Junction, Mushin, a suburb of Lagos.
Agoi told the court that the accused had killed Femi Egbekunle by shooting him in his chest and Saliu Maja who was shot in the mouth.
“The accused left his base at Idi-Araba in Mushin and went to Pako Junction also in Mushin and started shooting sporadically killing two people in the process,’’ he said.
He said that the offences contravened Sections 221 and 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Section 221 prescribes life imprisonment for offenders while Section 231 stipulates a prison term of 14 years.
The plea of the accused was not taken by the court.
Fowowe-Erusiafe then adjourned the case till Sept. 9.