An Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court has ordered the remand of a former traditional ruler of the Ilaje, Bariga area of Lagos State, Kayode Ayetiwa, in prison over the murder of 36-year-old Segun Ogbere, aka Shaggy.
Ogbere was murdered while returning from a court case in which he had gone to testify against Ayetiwa.
The deceased was the only volunteer and key witness in the murder of one James Aromire, who was killed in 2012.
PUNCH Metro had reported on December 12, that Ogbere was trailed from the court premises by suspected cult members.
The deceased had reportedly tried escaping the killers, but was cornered on Adeshina Street, off University Road, Abule Oja area of Yaba.
The police said Ogbere was stabbed and cut with machetes while he called out the name of one of his assailants. He was left to die in a pool of blood.
PUNCH Metro had reported that the victim was supposed to become the bale of Ilaje, after Ayetiwa was deposed as the traditional ruler due to the subsisting murder case he had in court.
The 54-year-old Ayetiwa was subsequently arrested for a second murder.
He was arraigned on two murder counts which read, “That you, Kayode Ayetiwa, and others now at large, on December 10, 2013, around 5.30pm at Abule Oja, Yaba Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.
“That you did unlawfully kill one Segun Ogbere, by stabbing him with knives and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, Nigeria, 2011.”
The defendant’s plea was not taken for the offence.
The police prosecutor, Corporal Cyricus Osuji, applied that the defendant be remanded in prison pursuant to Section 264 of Administration of Criminal Justice, Lagos State 2011.
However, the defence team of Ayetiwa put up a motion for his bail. They argued that the police have no ground to prove the defendant killed the deceased.
In his ruling, the magistrate, Mr. F. J. Adefioye, rejected the bail application of the defence counsel, saying that the issue of bail was for the Directorate of Public Prosecution to determine.
“The defendant is hereby remanded in prison, pending legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecution,” he said.
The matter was adjourned till January 29, 2014.
Copyright PUNCH.
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