Court orders arrest of Ekiti APC chair, others over alleged murder

A High Court in Ijero Ekiti, Ekiti State has issued arrest warrant against the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Jide Awe, and three other, namely Faboro John Ojo, Aniramu Basiru and Falayi Busuyi have been declared wanted for their alleged involvement in the murder of two persons; Mr Ayo Jeje and Mrs Juliana Adewumi, in Erinjiyan-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on March 30, 2013.

The APC chairman and five others are facing trial in Charge No: HIJ/1c/2015.

Justice E. B. Omotoso of the Ijero-Ekiti High Court, who granted the order on July 25, 2016, said the Jide Awe and the three other accused persons must be brought to court by the police on October 5, 2015.

The warrant of arrest dated July 27, 2016, was issued based on the prayer of Counsel to the Ekiti State Government, Yakubu Dauda, who asked the court to invoke Section 94 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Ekiti State to compel the appearances of the accused person before the court.

“Consequently, I hereby invoke the provisions of Section 94 of the Ekiti State Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Ekiti State by ordering that Bench Warrants be issued against the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th defendants to compel their appearances before this court at the next day of adjournment and subsequently to stand for their trial.

…Consequently, this matter is hereby adjourned till 5th of October, 2016 for hearing,” the judge ruled.

The State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Owoseni Ajayi said “the court order will be served on the police with immediate effect, hoping that it will be complied with strictly.”

It should be recalled that the Ekiti State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Owoseni Ajayi, in a letter to the IGP dated July 8, 2016 and copied to the Attorney General of the Federation, National Human Rights Commission and the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police had decried the refusal of the police to arrest the accused persons despite several requests.

“The Ekiti State has requested the Nigeria Police, Ekiti State Command to effect the arrests of these culprits but instead of effecting the arrests, the Police has refused and/or neglected to effect the arrests on the ground that such arrests should not be made except with the approval of the Police Force Headquarters, Abuja,” the Attorney General said.