Five days after the murder of Lateef Salako (aka Eleweomo), the factional leader of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Teslim Folarin, the Senate majority leader, and three others were yesterday arraigned for the murder.
The other accused persons are: Ramoni Jayeoba, Bankole Olaide Raji, and Raimi Ismaila. They were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy to murder and murder of the slain transport union leader.
Eleweomo was killed on Thursday last week during the People’s Democratic Party Congress at Akaran in Ona Ara local government area in Ibadan. He was killed during a fracas at the congress.
Behind bars
Beaming with smile, the Senator was brought to the court premises at 11.24 am amidst tight security. Before his arraignment, he had spent more than 24 hours with the police since he honoured their invitation on Monday.
Mr. Folarin, on Monday, was quizzed for more than three hours by the commissioner of police, Oyo State Command, Baba Adisa Bolanta. He was later driven to the state’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Iyaganku, and was detained at the station till he was brought to court yesterday.
He, however, was not alone as he was joined by the leader of the opposition against the second term bid of Oyo State governor, Adebayo Alao-Akala; fourth Republic Senator, Lekan Balogun; governorship aspirants of the party, Wole Oyelese and Yekini Adeojo, as well as a former Secretary to the Government in the Rashidi Ladoja administration, Sarafadeen Alli; former vice chairman of the Oyo State Pilgrims Board, Abass Oloko, and Alli Oyedeji (a.k.a. Alli Dodo), among many others.
The court premises was populated by a crowd of supporters who came to show their support for Mr. Folarin. Armed security men drafted to curtail possible breakdown of law and order had a hectic time controlling the crowd of supporters.
Immediately the accused persons were brought to the court, the Magistrate, Fatima Badrudeen, whose court was still in session, rose and briefly retired to her chambers to allow them settle before going on.
The court resumed some few minutes later to take Mr. Folarin and others’ case. But, unlike the usual practice, the court only read the allegations against the accused persons to their hearings without taking their plea.
Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and immediate past president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), led other 14 lawyers to defend the accused persons.
Mr. Akeredolu wondered why the police had to take the accused to a Magistrate’s Court when they knew quite well that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear criminal matters.
“I am obliged of the charge sheet of this case and I have read through. The offences there are not ones within the jurisdiction of your court. I am sure you are also aware of this. The best your court can do is to take them on holden charge. But we are here before you. You do not need to take their pleas,” he told the magistrate.
Concurring with his argument, Mrs. Badrudeen said she had only asked the court clerk to read their alleged offences to them, and not to take the pleas.
Public humiliation
After reading the offences, Mr. Akeredolu prayed the court to remand the accused persons in Agodi Prison pending the time proper charge will be prepared and brought before a High Court.
The police prosecutor, A. Ojeh, did not object to the prayer, and after consultation between the two parties, they agreed to come back on January 14.
In line with their agreement, the Magistrate ordered that they be remanded in the prison and adjourned the matter till January 14 for mention.
Many supporters of Mr. Folarin, including Mr. Oloko, could not control their emotions. They broke into tears as he was driven out of the court’s premises in a pick-up van belonging to the Nigeria Prisons around 12.23p.m.
Shortly before he was taken away to the prison, Mr. Balogun told the press that Mr. Bolanta had only tricked Mr. Folarin into a public humiliation. He hinted that he had advised Mr. Folarin against showing up in his office on a public holiday, but rather take legal action to enforce his right.
“I warned him. But I think this will toughen him as a politician. Rather than humiliate him, they have made him more popular. You can see how the crowd cheered him,” he said.
Mr. Balogun added that the people will stage a protest against Mr. Bolanta on January 15 to call for his redeployment from Oyo State “before he spoils our state for us.”
He also vowed to fight against the re-election of Mr. Alao-Akala as governor in the next election.
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