Five persons have been remanded in prison custody on the order of a Chief Magistrate Court in Akure, the Ondo State capital for allegedly lynching a suspected ‘Yahoo boy’ Temitope Olorunfemi who was involved in an auto accident to death.
Temitope was murdered by a mob on Easter Monday, after he reportedly crushed one person to death and injured six others at different locations in the Ijoka area of Akure.
The suspects; Victor Amos, 30; Ismalia, 32, Pelumi Farotimi, 42; Nurudeen Kumuyi, 22 and Samuel Olatunji, 23, were arraigned on three counts of felony, unlawful murder and arson in charge No. MAK/136c/2023.
The suspects were driven into the court premises in a black colour police Hilux van, under tight security surveillance. They were later guarded into the court by police officers, followed by their family members, friends and sympathisers of the deceased.
The prosecutor, Nelson Akintimehin, said the accused persons and others at large committed the offence on April 10, 2023 at about 9.00pm, at opposite Odopo Town Hall, along Ijoka Road, Akure.
The prosecutor informed the court that the accused conspired to commit felony and unlawful murder of the deceased, Temitope. The accused were alleged to have murdered the deceased in cold blood with sticks, stones and other offensive weapons.
Akintimehin told the court that the accused also maliciously damaged one Toyota Camry car with number plate KRD 627 GY, by setting it ablaze. According to the charge, the offences contravene Sections 324, 316(1) and 451(6)(J) of the Criminals Code, Cap 37 Vol. 2 Laws of Ondo State.
The court did not take the pleas of the defendants for lack of jurisdiction. The prosecutor, through a written application urged the court to remand the defendant at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending the issuance of advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The defence team led by Chief Dapo Agbede, prayed for an adjournment to enable each defendant file a counter affidavit to the application sought by the prosecutor. Chief Magistrate Musa Al-Yunus, granted the requests of the defence lawyers and adjourned the case till April 27, for a reply to the affidavit and ruling. He ordered that the defendants should remain in police custody till the next date of adjournment.
