Court Docks Eleven Suspects over Attack on Kwara APC Chairman’s Convoy

Court Docks Eleven Suspects over Attack on Kwara APC Chairman’s Convoy

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Kwara State Chief Magistrate Court in Ilorin, the state capital, wednesday docked 11 suspects for allegedly attacking the convoy of the state Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other members of his executives in Shao town in Moro Local Government Council Area of the state recently.

The party’s executives were allegedly attacked February 26, 2020, in Shao town during a thank-you tour of the council area for the massive support APC got at the last general election. The suspects are Adebayo Jimoh, Salman Amidu, Mahmoud Afolabi, Olaofe Oladeji, among others.

The suspects, who pleaded not guilty to the offences preferred against them, were accused of criminal conspiracy, criminal force and assault, inciting disturbances and mischief contrary to Sections 97, 266, 243, 114 and 327 of Penal Code Law.

Police First Information Report (FIR) said: “Some aggrieved members of the party on February 26 criminally conspired to disrupt the programme by inciting members of their group against the visiting state executives which later resulted in an attack on the visiting APC executives with stones and other dangerous weapons as a result of which the programme was disrupted and the vehicle conveying the party officials were equally damaged.

“In the process, three persons, including Jimoh Saliu, Akanbi Rufiat and Ogunremi Akinjide, at the venue of the meeting, sustained various degrees of injuries.

“Investigation further revealed that the attack was planned and hatched by the aggrieved suspects.”

Reacting to the suspects’ denial to the commission of the crime, the Police Prosecutor, Zacheous Folorunsho, told the court that investigation into the matter “is still in progress.

“It is trite in law that bail is at the discretion of the court; we are waiting for another day for further notice.”

Lead counsel to the defendants, Lawal V Jimoh, in applying for their bail, said: “First Information Report (FIR), no matter how beautifully written, cannot take the place of an evident, as bail is also guided by Section 169 of the Kwara State Administration of Criminal Justice of 2018.

It means that the defendants are not going to commit the same offence if granted bail, and they are not going to jump bail.

“They are also responsible people, and if granted bail, they will not evade court proceedings. Therefore, I am asking for their bail on liberal terms.”

The presiding Chief Magistrate, Ahmad Dasuki, acceded to the defendants’ counsel request for bail.

He ordered each of the accused persons to pay the sum of N200, 000 with one surety on grade level six and above working with the Kwara State civil service.

He then adjourned the case to April 2, 2020, for further mention.

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