Suspected killers of the traditional ruler of the Koro community in the Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara were arraigned on Thursday at the State High Court for the offences of kidnapping and culpable homicide.
The Nigerian Tribune recalled that gunmen suspected to be kidnappers on Thursday night, February 1, 2024, invaded the palace of the Olukoro of Koro, killed Oba Peter Segun Aremu, and kidnapped his wife and two others.
The traditional ruler, said to be a retired army general, was reportedly shot dead in his palace by some unknown gunmen, who also whisked away his wife and two others.
The suspects, Godwin Jacob, Olofela Oyebanji, Adefolalu Ayodele, Tewasie Francis, Babatunde Samuel, Godwin Joseph, Issa Mumee, Miracle Solomon, Abraham Kehinde, Muhammed Bello, Muhammed Muhammed, Ahmadu Umaru, Muhammed Dankai, and Saliu Murtala, were all docked before Justice Umar Zikir.
According to the charges before the court, the suspects were accused of causing the death of Onikoro of Koro, Oba Aremu Olusegun Cole, and of kidnapping his wife, Olori Iyabo Aremu.
The charges further revealed that they demanded the sum of N100 million as ransom for the release of the kidnapped victims, but N12 million was later paid.
The Director of Public Prosecution, Barrister Muhammed Akande, informed the court that the offences against the suspects are capital in nature, which requires them to have a legal representative, saying the office of the public defender will volunteer to render legal service to any of them who need it.
The trial judge, however, granted bail to two of the suspects who were initially on bail, while others were further remanded in the correctional facility.
The case was adjourned to July 30, 2024, for proper arraignment.
Also, the State High Court has released one of the suspected killers of Onikoro of Koro, Oba Peter Aremu, on bail for his health condition.
The suspect, Olowofela Oyebanji, was the second defendant among others who were arraigned before Magistrate Monisola Kamson for the alleged offences of culpable homicide.
Oyebanji’s counsel, Barrister Udeh, revealed during their arraignment at the Magistrate Court that his client’s application for bail at the High Court had been granted.
He said Oyebanji could not physically appear in court because he was on admission at the hospital in Lagos, Lagos State.
He, however, promised to ensure his presence at the next adjourned date, while Magistrate Monisola Kamson, who presided over the matter, adjourned until the 9th of next month.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor, Abdullah Sanni, had applied to substitute the police report in order to add another suspect, one Saliu Murtala, who was just arrested, bringing the total number of suspects arraigned in connection with the case to 14.
Other suspects, Godwin Jacob, Adefalolu Ayodele, Tewasie Francis, Babatunde Samuel, Godwin Joseph, one Issa, Miracle Solomon, Abraham Kehinde, Muhammed Bello, Muhammed Muhammed, Ahmadu Umaru, and Muhammed Dankai, of different addresses in Ekiti State, have further been remanded.
It will be recalled that one Aremu Simon Adeyemi reported the case at the Eruku Police Division, and the suspects were subsequently dragged to court for the alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, kidnapping, and giving false information.
Adeyemi, through the police report, narrated how the suspects pointed guns at him, ordering him to follow them when he challenged them after noticing their movement around his grandson.
He said his grandson escaped through the backdoor while the suspects proceeded to kill the monarch, kidnap his wife, and one other person identified as Mercy.
Adeyemi added that he was later released while the deceased wife and Mercy were held hostage.
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