23rd March, 2011
Detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria have arraigned a 20-year old man, Odunsi Oluwadamilare before an Ebute-Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court on a two-count charge of murder.
Oluwadamilare was alleged to have conspired with others to kill one Badmus Olatunde on 8 January, 2011 at Bamidele Street, Oriokuta, Owutu, Ikorodu.
Count two of the charges reads: “That you, Odunsi Oluwadamilare and others at large on 8 January, 2011, at Bamidele Street, Oriokuta, Owutu, Ikorodu, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District did kill one Badmus Olatunde by stabbing him with a broken bottle and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap.C.17, Vol. II, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.”
His counsel, Mr. Adeatu Isaac told the court that the accused was arraigned because the actual offender could not be found.
“He was not at the scene of the offence. He did not even know the deceased. He has been in Panti for almost nine weeks, suffering for the offence he did not commit. This is a case where the police arraigned the wrong person in court simply because they could not arrest the actual offender,†the counsel stated.
But the investigation police officer, Corporal Olojede Mayowa, told the court that the brother of the deceased identified the accused as a member of the gang that killed his brother.
Going through the case file, the magistrate, Mr. T. Abolarinwa, ordered that it should be duplicated and sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.
He also ordered the prosecutor to follow up the matter and bring the accused back to court after 30 days.
Mr. Abolarinwa blamed the police for keeping the accused in custody for more than 24 hours while looking for the actual offender.
The case has been adjourned till 24 April, 2011.
—Abosede Agboola