Alleged Murder of Oyerinde: Court grants Ugolor bail

[MrVan]

By GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BENIN- DETAINED Executive Director of the African Network for Environment and Economic Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor over his alleged complicity in the murder of the Principal Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole, Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, was yesterday admitted to bail by the Edo High Court (Criminal Division) presided over by Justice Philip Imodemhe.

Rev. Ugolor has been in detention since he was arrested by the police from the Federal Special Anti –Robbery Squad on the 27th of July, 2012. He kept in detention despite the order of a Benin High Court presided over by Justice Esther Edigin that he should be released un-conditionally from their custody.

However, on the 31st of August, 2012, the Police arraigned him before a Magistrate court presided over by Chief Magistrate F. Idiake who said he had no jurisdiction on the matter but ordered his remand in Prisons custody.

In his ruling after listening to Mr. G.M.D Oguntade (SAN), leading Olayiwola Afolabi, Osaro Osemwengie and others for Rev. Ugolor and Mrs. Adekumbi, State Counsel and Assistant Director in the Edo State Ministry of Justice, Justice Imodemhe admitted the accused to bail with one surety and in like sum of N1million who must owned a house and resident in Benin-City.

The summons to bail was earlier opposed by Mrs. Adekumbi, State Counsel who argued that the accused if granted bail  will jump bail and flee from the country due to the serious nature of the case.

She also told the court that the Police still needed time to continue further investigations and also accessed the call log of Rev. David Ugolor, just as she averred that the first accused person in the case, Mr. Garba Maisamari had named the ANEEJ Executive Director in his confession as the one who allegedly contract them to commit the crime.

But, counsel to Rev. Ugolor led G M.D Oguntade, while countering the averrments of the state counsel, said that their client was an international figure and well known all over the country and the world at large and as such,will not jump bail.

They also told the court that Holden charge was unknown to Nigerian law, insisting that a citizen of Nigeria cannot be in detention when he has been charged to court even as they further argued that by virtue of Section 9(4) of Evident Act, 2011, the confession of a co-accused was not binding on he, Ugolor if  the confession was not adopted.

 

Vanguard Nigeria