Two of the five suspects arraigned at the Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting at Oke Eda, in Akure, the Ondo State capital, in the case of the extra-judicial killing of the 25-year-old driver, Olorunfemi Temitope, have been remanded in prison custody.
The two suspects; Victor Amos and Pelumi Farotimi, were remanded at the facility of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Olokuta in Akure, at the resumed hearing of the murder case of Mr Olorunfemi, who was alleged of being an internet fraudster aka “Yahoo boy”, on Friday afternoon.
OsunDaily reports that Mr Amos, the 1st defendant, was identified in a viral video where he was seen beating the deceased and later hit his head with piece of broken block.
While Mr Farotimi, the 3rd defendant, was identified by the deceased’s elder brother, Oluwatosin Olorunfemi, as the one who pushed him (Oluwatosin) when he was trying to rescue his brother and ordered that he be beaten.
Messers Amos, 30, and Farotimi 42, were part of the five suspects; Boboye Ismalia, 32; Nurudeen Kumuyi, 22 and Samuel Olatunji, 23, arraigned before the court by the men of the Ondo Police Command.
The suspects were dragged before the Magistrates’ Court on three counts of felony, unlawful murder and arson in a charge sheet marked as No. MAK/136c/2023.
Their offences contravene Sections 324, 316(1) and 451(6)(J) of the Criminals Code, Cap 37 Vol. 2 Laws of Ondo State
The Gazette had reported how Mr Olorunfemi, said to be a bolt driver, was gruesomely killed by an irate mob on Easter Monday after he crushed two persons to death with his Toyota Camry vehicle, in the Ijoka Area of Akure, the state capital.
On Friday, Magistrate Musa Al-Yunus said that there are “probable causes” to remand the two suspects (Messrs Amos and Farotimi) who were the first 1st and 3rd defendants in the murder case.
He noted that the suspects would still be in the prison facility, pending the issuance of legal advice from the office of the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Mr Al-Yunus, however, granted bail to the 2nd, 4th and 5th defendants on the ground that there is no probable cause for their detention.
The trio; Messrs Ismaila, Kumuteyi and Olatunji, were granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in a like sum.
The Magistrate also added that their sureties must have landed property within the court’s jurisdiction.
He, however, adjourned the case till August 8, 2023.
