Suspected killers of a navy officer are being held by the court in Ondo.
Pursuit of Justice: Court Orders Detention of Two Suspects in Tragic Naval Officer’s Killing
In a somber development, the Ondo State Chief Magistrate Court in Akure has made the decision to remand two out of three suspects involved in the untimely demise of naval officer Samson Akingbagbohun.
The defendants, Ayomide Sambo Ayomide and Johnson Adeleke, both aged 20, were apprehended alongside Francis Shagari, 17, for their alleged involvement in the officer’s tragic death following a heated argument in Ido Ani, Ose Local Government Area of the state.
Presented before the court, they faced charges of conspiracy and murder, as stated in Sections 319, 316, and 342 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State Nigeria 2006.
Although the defendants pleaded not guilty, their pleas were not officially recorded by the court. Inspector Nelson Akintimehin, the prosecutor, informed the court that the defendants, along with others still at large, committed the offenses on June 26, 2023, at approximately 7:40 pm in the Ondo State Magisterial District, specifically in Idoani.
The prosecutor requested the court to remand the defendants in the Olokuta Correctional Centre, enabling him to forward their case file to the Director of Public Prosecution. However, Tolulope Adebiyi, the defendants’ counsel, implored the court to grant bail to her clients. Adebiyi highlighted that the third defendant, Shagari, aged 17, should not be tried in an adult court due to his age. Additionally, she noted that the second defendant, Sambo, is a sickle cell patient requiring appropriate care.
In delivering the ruling, Chief Magistrate Musa Al-Yunus determined that there were valid reasons to remand the two suspects. However, the court granted bail to the third defendant, Francis Shagari, setting the bail amount at N500,000 and requiring two sureties of the same sum.
The court scheduled the next hearing for August 1, 2023, for further proceedings and updates on the case.