Court remands nine for allegedly shooting five persons during protest in Osun

An Osogbo Chief Magistrate Court on Monday ordered the remand of nine suspects for the alleged shooting of five persons in Ikinrun, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Osun State.

The suspects were said to have staged riots against the appointment of a new Akinrun of Ikinrun.

Police prosecutor, Inspector Elisha Olusegun, informed the court that the suspects and others at large committed the offences between October 26 and 30, 2022, at about 5:30 pm in Ikirun.

They were slammed with eleven count-charge bordering on felonies, unlawful assembly, rioting, possession of dangerous weapons and attempted murder, which are contrary to sections 516, 70, 320, 517, and 249(d) of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. Il Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.

Olusegun said that the defendants, with intent to kill, shot residents of Ikirun, including Folorunso Adeyemi, Oyewale Wasiu, Olayiwola Samad, Hasan Abdullahi, and Toheeb Oyewale, on various parts of their bodies during the violent protest against the appointment of Prince Yinusa Olalekan Akadiri as the Akinrun of Ikirun by the Osun State Government.

The police prosecutor further disclosed that the defendants, who were armed with dangerous weapons, conducted themselves in a manner likely to cause a breach of public peace by blocking the major roads and setting up bonfires in the ancient town.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges slammed against them.

Presiding Chief Magistrate, Olusola Aluko, ordered them to be remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre and asked their defence counsels to furnish the court with a formal application for their bail.

Aluko adjourned the matter till November 24 for mention.

The nine suspects who were dragged to court on Monday by the Osun State Police Command are Babawale Bolaji, aged 28, Salam Abdulhakeem, aged 33, Omoboriowo Ismaila, aged 30, Olalere Opeyemi Damilare, aged 32, Elegbede Rilwan, aged18, Bello Saheed, aged18, Tiamiyu Gafar, aged 28, Sulaiman Wasiu, aged 36 and Oladimeji Afeez, aged 30.

The Osun State Government had on Wednesday, October 26, 2022, announced the appointment of Prince Yinusa Olalekan Akadiri as the Akinrun of Ikinrun.

However, before the announcement of the appointment by the state government became public, youths in the town protested against the decision.

Also, Rasaq Adeosun, the Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, stated that the government appointment was in line with the Chieftaincy law in the state.

He also revealed that the state government obeyed the directive of an Osun State High Court directing it to appoint a prince from the Obaara Ruling House since the Gboleru Ruling House was yet to present a suitable candidate for the stool due to infighting.