14 Arraigned over Kwara Monarch’s Murder

Fourteen suspects were on Thursday arraigned at the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin over alleged murder of Oba Aremu Olusegun Cole, the Onikoro of Koro in Ekiti Local Government Area of the state. PUNCH Metro reports that the arraignment was at the behest of the Kwara State Ministry of Justice.

The accused persons who had earlier been charged before a Kwara State Magistrates Court presided by Mrs Monisola Kamson were slammed with three charges of alleged criminal conspiracy, kidnapping and culpable homicide punishable with death under Section 221 of the Penal Code Law of Nigeria. They included: Godwin Jacob, Olowofela Oyebanji, Adefolalu Ayodele, Tewasie Francis, Babatunde Samuel, Godwin Joseph, Issa Mumee, Miracle Solomon, Abraham Kehinde, Muhammed Bello, Muhammed Muhammed, Ahmadu Umaru, Muhammed Dankai, Saliu Murtala while others are still at large. The accused persons were alleged to have attacked the palace, killed the monarch and also kidnapped his wife, Olori Iyabo Aremu Cole, and two others during the attack.

According to the charges before the high court presided by Mr. Justice Umar Zikir and signed by the Kwara State Director of Public Prosecutions, Muhammed Akande, the suspects were accused of causing the death of the Onikoro of Koro, Oba Aremu Olusegun Cole and kidnap of his wife, Olori Iyabo Aremu. The charges revealed that the accused persons demanded the sum of N100m as ransom for the release of the kidnapped victims but N12m was later paid by the relations of the victims.

In his submission before the court on Thursday, Akande informed the court that the offences against the accused persons are capital in nature which requires them to have legal representation. He said the Office of the Public Defender would volunteer to render legal services to any of them who needs it. In his ruling, the trial judge, Justice Umar Zikir, however, retained the bail initially granted two of the accused persons and ordered the remand of the remaining 12 accused persons at the correctional centre facility in Ilorin till the next adjourned date. The case was adjourned till July 30, 2024, for a hearing.

Recall that when the case came up at the Magistrate Court on June 3, the prosecutor, Abdullahi Sanni, told the court that he was still awaiting the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions on the matter. During the hearing, Mr. Udeh, defence counsel for the second defendant, Olowofela Oyebanji, told the court that his client could not be physically present in court because he was on admission at an undisclosed hospital in Lagos. Udeh said that his client’s application for bail filed earlier at the high court as a result of his ill health succeeded during the arraignment of the suspects at the magistrate court. He however promised to ensure his presence at the next adjourned date while Magistrate Kamson who presided over the matter adjourned the matter till August 9 for a hearing.

Source: Punch