State Counsel Saves Three Murder Suspects
The sorrow and gloom that hovered on the families and persons of three alleged murder suspects; Messrs. Wasiu Ayoade, Kudusi Olatunji and Akeem Mudasiru were turned into joy and dances when the three suspects were freed by the Chief Magistrate at Court no. 4, Iyaganku, Ibadan, Oyo State Nigeria on 17th July 2018.
The three suspects had been detained and arraigned before the Court since the 20th day of April 2016 on a three-count charge. They were represented by two counsels. The first count read that Messrs. Wasiu Ayoade, Kudusi Olatunji and Akeem Mudasiru, all males and others at large on the 20th day of April 2016 at about 11:30pm at Agbede Adodo area, Ibadan, in Ibadan Magisterial District did conspired with one another to commit Felony to wit Murder and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 324 of the criminal code cap 38 Volume 2 laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.
In addition, the three persons and others at large were charged that on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did unlawfully cause the death of one Mr. Yisau Raji, 65, years by shooting him with gun and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 316 and punishable under section 319 of the criminal code cap 38 Volume 2 laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.
The last count stated that the three suspects and others at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did also unlawfully cause the death of (another person) Mr. Dotun Kilanko, 45years, by shooting him with gun and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 316 and punishable under section 319 of the criminal code cap 38 volume 2 Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.
But in a swift twist for fortune, on the 17th day of July 2018, a State Counsel from Ministry of Justice Mrs. H.O. Awosemusi came to court with the legal advice dated 16th July 2018 and formally took over the case from the Police Prosecutor. She read the legal advice which attested that the three suspects have no case to answer.
The defendants’ Counsels had no objection to the legal advice, rather they praised the efforts of the State counsel for investing her time to trace the case file since 2016 and for her diligence at sorting it out as well as the time spent to come to the Court to interpret it clearly.
The numerous legal efforts of their two defense counsels and the thorough investigations of the incidents since 2016 had finally yielded in favour of the suspects and their hope for freedom were rekindled when the counsels to the three suspects finally applied to the Court that their clients should be discharged and acquitted. The suspects were eventually found not guilty as charged.
Chief Magistrate Muideen Salami commended the efforts of the defense counsels from the onset till the final moment and advised the suspects to be very careful and watch their future steps. He discharged and acquitted the three suspects.
The above case or story has raised pertinent question, and the question is what lesson or lessons are learnable from the story? Let’s share your views.