The court, in its judgement on Monday, said Adedipe; Adebayo Aderiye, Sola Durodola, Kayode Ajayi, Oso Farotimi, Sola Adenijo and Rotimi Olanbiwonnu, who are all members of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) were discharged and acquitted all the two counts of conspiracy and murder brought against them.
The trial judge, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye, in his judgement said the prosecution had failed to prove that the accused persons were complicit in the murder of Aderiye, who until his death was a close ally of Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Justice Ogunmoye held that the prosecution failed to prove the charge of conspiracy to kill the late Aderiye and that it also failed to prove the count of murder against all the seven defendants.
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According to Ogunmoye, the case brought against the accused by the prosecution was not helped by what he said was the “contradictory evidence” given by its witnesses, saying that the court would not believe such.
Justice Ogunmoye said: “Inconsistencies in the evidence of the prosecution witnesses has created a doubt.
Where two or more witnesses give contradictory evidence, it will be illogical to believe their testimony.
“None of the alibi raised by the defendants was investigated by the police. The evidence of the prosecution failed to bring down the evidence of the defendants.
“The plea of evidence succeeds that the accused were not at the scene of the crime. The prosecution failed to rebut the evidence of the defendants.
The prosecution has been unable to prove that the death of Chief Omolafe Aderiye was caused by any of the defendants.
“There was nowhere conspiracy can be inferred against any of the defendants. The first to seventh defendants are hereby discharged and acquitted.”
Adetunji Oso, Isaac Omolade and Adeoye Aribasoye, who served as the defence counsel, hailed the court for the judgment, while the prosecution lawyer, Mohammed Alaaya commended the court for “looking at the evidence brought before it.”
Meanwhile, the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Kola Kolade, while reacting to the judgement, said the state would go to the appeal court to challenge the judgement.
The judgment had led to jubilation by supporters, friends and family members of the defendants, who had thronged around the Ekiti State judiciary complex in anticipation of the judgement.
The state’s chapter of APC, in a reaction to the judgement through its publicity secretary, Chief Taiwo Olatunbosun, said the judiciary was “living to the expectations of Ekiti people in ensuring justice in the murder trial of APC members.”
National deputy chairman of APC, Chief Segun Oni, through his media aide, Mr Steve Alabi, while also reacting to the judgement, said: “the release of the detainees had again proved that judiciary remains the last hope of the common man.”
Aderiye was shot dead by yet to be identified gunmen at his office in Ijigbo area of Ado Ekiti on September 25th, 2014.
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