**There was no suspect in court, only a masquerade – Deceased’s lawyer
Twenty-eight-year-old Yewande Oyediran (nee Fatoki), a lawyer with the Oyo State Ministry of Justice, who was docked on a one-count charge of unlawfully causing the death of her 38 years old husband, Oyelowo Oyediran, again appeared before Magistrate Kehinde Durosaro of the Oyo State Magistrate Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Tuesday, amidst great security and was given a VIP treatment.
Yewande was brought to the court in a separate bus, the Agodi Prisons Ambulance with number PS 638 A01, with a prison pick up as escort while other inmates brought in the Prison Black Maria were screaming that journalists should report it well that they came late to court because of her.
She was escorted into the court, with her face covered, by eight heavily armed prison officials in a bid to prevent the press from taking her picture and when the case was called, the prosecutor, Inspector Adewale, informed the court that the advice from the state Directorate of Public Prosecutions was ready. “The case is for mention but I was made to understand that the DPP advice is out,” he stated.
In his response, Yewande’s counsel, Mr Seun Abimbola, who led six other lawyers in the defence, stated that he was not aware that the DPP advice was out and Magistrate Durosaro adjourned the matter till March 1, 2016 for mention.
However, counsel to the deceased, Kehinde Adesiyan, who led five other lawyers on a watching brief, stated that what was in court was just a procedure and not a suit since the Magistrate Court did not have jurisdiction to hear the matter.
According to him, he was not aware that there was a suspect before the court but a masquerade, as no one knew who was under the veil, adding that what had happened was alien to law and against the constitution.
He stated further that he was sure that a matter had been filed before a court of competent jurisdiction and the matter is commencing this morning (Wednesday). He added that “though the Prison has a responsibility to protect inmates, what they are doing in this case is on the extreme.
“This is just a procedure for remand; there is nothing to this particular matter because this court has no jurisdiction to hear the matter. I can authoritatively say that a substantive suit has been filed before the Oyo State High Court which has the jurisdiction to hear the matter and the case will commence on Wednesday, at Ring Road. She will take her plea and the case will commence fully.
“I will say that no one is before the court, there is no suspect in court today, but a masquerade. What they are doing is unknown to law and alien to jurisprudence. That a suspect will appear before the court and no one will be able to ascertain the identity is strange. That has gone beyond protection. No one appeared before the court as a suspect today. It was a masquerade.”
The suit before the Magistrate Court delineated MI/153c/2016 is tagged Commissioner of Police Vs Oyediran Yewande and the charge was signed by the Officer in Charge of Legal/Prosecution in the Oyo State Police Command, DSP (Barr) Fawole Funke.
The single charge read: “That you Yewande Oyediran ‘F’, on the 2nd day of February 2016, at about 6.10am at No 30, Abidi Odan, Akobo Area, Ibadan in the Ibadan Magisterial District, did unlawfully cause the death of one Oyelowo Oyediran ‘M’ aged 38 years by stabbing him with knife on the neck which later resulted to his death thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal code Cap 38 Vol II Laws of Oyo State.”
Source:Tribune
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