Five suspects appeared before the Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for allegedly lynching the 25-year-old driver, Temitope Olorunfemi, to death.
The suspects; Victor Amos, 30; Boboye Ismalia, 32; Pelumi Farotimi, 42; Nurudeen Kumuyi, 22 and Samuel Olatunji, 23, were arraigned before the court by men of the Ondo State Police Command.
Mr Olorunfemi was gruesomely killed by an irate mob on Easter Monday, accusing him of ritual killing after he crushed two persons to death in with his vehicle in the Ijoka Area of Akure, the Ondo State capital.
However, the accused persons were dragged before the Magistrates’ Court on three counts of felony, unlawful murder and arson.
A copy of the charge sheet sighed by OsunDaily was listed as No. MAK/136c/2023.
Nelson Akintimehin, the prosecutor in charge of the case, told the court that the five accused persons conspired to commit the felony and unlawful murder of Mr Olorunfemi.
Mr Akintimehin said that the accused persons and others at large committed the offence on April 10, 2023, at about 9:00 a.m., opposite Odopo Town Hall, along Ijoka Road, Akure.
He added that the accused persons allegedly murdered Mr Olorunfemi who they wrongly as an internet fraudster otherwise known as “Yahoo boy” in cold blood – with sticks, stones and other offensive weapons.
The court further heard that the accused also maliciously damaged Mr Olorunfemi’s Toyota Camry vehicle with number plate KRD 627 GY, by setting it ablaze.
He noted that their offence contravene Sections 324, 316(1) and 451(6)(J) of the Criminals Code, Cap 37 Vol. 2 Laws of Ondo State.
He prayed that the court remands them at the Nigerian Correctional Service, in Olokuta, pending advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
However, the court did not take the pleas of the accused persons.
Olumide Agbede, the lead counsel to the accused persons pleaded with the court to adjourn the case to enable him to file a counter affidavit to the application sought by the prosecutor.
Ruling, Magistrate Musa Al-Yunus, granted the requests of the defence counsel.
He later adjourned the case till April 27, for a reply to the affidavit and asked that the accused persons should remain in police custody till the next date of adjournment.
