Faked kidnap: Fulfill your bail conditions court tells traditional ruler

Justice Hakeem Oshodi of an Ikeja High Court on Tuesday dismissed an application filed on behalf of the deposed Baale of Shangisha, Chief Mutiu Micheal Ogundare seeking to review his bail conditions.

The embattled Ogundare is currently being held in prison custody alongside his wife, Abolanle Ogundare and one Mohammed Opeyemi Babatunde pending perfection of their bail condition.

Chief Ogundare’s journey to prison began when the Lagos State Government had him arrested then deposed him of his title before he and his alleged accomplices were dragged before an Ogba Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly staging his own kidnap.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, Chief Ogundare’s counsel, Chief H. N. Ogirien specifically asked the court to reduce some aspects of the bail conditions, especially the part where the deposed traditional ruler was asked to provide a level 17 officer in the state civil service.

“My Lord we are unable to secure a level 17 officer of the Lagos State Civil Service. No one is willing to come forward and stand as surety.

“We also have difficulty getting a traditional ruler to stand as surety. We are simply asking the court to review the bail conditions such that the defendant can easily perfect the bail conditions,” Ogirien said.

“This situation is peculiar because a man and his wife are both incarcerated. They have young children who are dependent on them. They have children of nursery, primary and secondary ages who are solely dependent on them. They have nobody taking care of them,” he added.

Justice Oshodi however inquired why the application was not taken to the lower court where the bail was granted.

“He is a traditional ruler, so I am wondering why none of his fellow traditional rulers can stand for him.”

Are you saying that there is no traditional ruler within jurisdiction that can stand for him,” the judge inquired.

The judge thereafter dismissed the application of the embattled former traditional ruler seeking to vary the bail conditions.

The Ogba Magistrate Court where the defendants were arraigned had granted N2 million bail to each of them, with two sureties in the like sum.

According to the court, the sureties must include a traditional ruler, a person with registered property in Lagos, must be a tax payer and a grade level 17 officer in the Lagos State public service.