BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
THE Police in Osun State, on Wednesday, arraigned two young ladies before an Osogbo Magistrate’s Court for allegedly attempting to kill the state Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, during the protest against police brutality and bad governance in the state recently.
The suspects – Tajudeen Suliyat and Ayomide Abdulazeez – both aged 20, were also accused of stealing and vandalising Justrite, a mall in Osogbo.
The duo were slammed with a six-count charge of attempted murder, malicious damage, burglary and conspiracy.
Police prosecutor, ASP Idoko John, told the court that the accused persons committed the offence on October 17, 2020, at about 4:30pm, at Olaiya Junction, Osogbo.
Idoko alleged that the accused persons conspired among themselves and unlawfully attempted to kill Governor Oyetola by firing guns and throwing stones at him.
He further informed the court that the accused persons did willfully and unlawfully damage 17 vehicles in the Governor’s convoy.
The Police prosecutor also said that the accused, on the same date, at about 8:00pm, did unlawfully break and enter into Justrite Mall and stole laptops, mobile phones and phone accessories, all valued at three millon, five hundred and sixty eight thousand naira (N3,568,000:00), property of Ashiru Ibrahim Olayemi.
According to the charge sheet, the offence committed by the accused persons was contrary to and punishable under Section 516,320(1), 451, 414 and 390 of the Capital Code 34, Vol ll, Law of Osun State, 2002.
However, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the allegations preferred against them by the police.
Defence Counsel, Nurudeen Kareem, made an oral application in the court for the bail of the accused persons in the most liberal term, saying that the offence against the suspects were bailable.
He told the court that the parents of the suspects handed them over to the police and the same parents were ready to stand their surety.
In his swift reaction, the prosecutor opposed the bail application made by the counsel on the ground that the accused persons would commit similar offence if granted bail.
Idoko argued that if they were granted bail, they would still unleash mayhem and bring havoc on the state, adding that releasing them would cause problem for the state.
He added that if the accused persons knew the gravity and the punishment of the attempted murder offence, which was life imprisonment, they would definitely jump bail.
In his ruling, Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara ordered the remand of the accused persons in Ilesa Correctional Center till November 20, 2020 for ruling on bail.
Recall that the Governor was attacked by suspected hoodlums during the #EndSARS protest, while he was addressing some protesters at Olaiya Junction, in Osogbo.
