Temitope Olatoye: Court grants Oyo Chief Whip N50m bail over alleged murder of lawmaker

CRIME NEWS

Temitope Olatoye: Court grants Oyo Chief Whip N50m bail over alleged murder of lawmaker

 

A High Court sitting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Thursday admitted the Chief Whip of the state House of Assembly, Mr. Olafisoye Akinmoyede, to bail in the sum of N50 million.

Akinmoyede, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), in the state, who represents Lagelu State Constituency is one of the five suspects linked to the murder of a member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Temitope Olatoye.

Olatoye, who until his death represented Akinyele/ Lagelu Federal Constituency, was killed by some unknown gunmen on March 9, during the gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections at Lalupon area of Ibadan.

Akinmoyede, through his counsel, Mr. Michael Lana filed an enforcement of fundamental human rights suit against the police for detaining his client since March 11, without charging him to court.

Lana urged the court to declare the continued detention of his client in police custody in Abuja as unlawful and a violation of his (Akinmoyede) fundamental human right.

He urged the court to grant bail to his client pending the arraignment of his client at the court of law.

However, Justice Mashud Abass, while admitting Akinmoyede to bail on Thursday, ordered him to produce two sureties in like sum one of who must be a civil servant not below GL14 or member of the state House or National Assembly.

Abass ordered that the second surety must be a blood relation with landed property worth N50 million.

The judge, frowned at the action of the police, describing it as “arrogant, unlawful and unconstitutional.”

He said, “The practice of the police making arrests before investigation is not proper.

“The power of the police to arrest and detain is not in doubt but the constitution stipulates that any person detained must be arraigned within 24 hours.

“The remand order obtained by the police from an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court expired on April 4 and detaining the applicant beyond this period is fragrant disobedient to the constitution.

“Obedience to court order should be the responsibility of all who believe in the stability of Nigeria.”

The judge said the police have not provided any justification that would warrant the court not to grant bail to the applicant.

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