…case in court 5 years after incident
Inspector Usang Otu, a police prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of three alleged members of an unlawful society group called ‘IBILE’ (cult group) over the alleged murder of one Owolabi Ajibola, on Monday, told the Lagos State High Court sitting at the Tafawa Balewa Square, Lagos state how he investigated the case.
Otu said that it was during the investigation that he discovered that the person who came to make a report of the case of conspiracy and murder was the father of the deceased, Baale Idowu.
The defendants who are alleged to be members of an unlawful society group called ‘IBILE’ and accused of killing the deceased are Jemilu Adamu, Babatunde Gbenga, and Jimoh Idris.
They are facing two counts of conspiracy, unlawful society, and murder preferred against them by the Lagos State Government.
At the beginning of the trial on Monday, the police witness who was led in evidence in chief by the state prosecuting counsel, E. O. Anyabisi, told the court that in the course of the investigation, the deceased’s father in his statement made it clear that the first defendant and his group belonged to a society called “IBILE”.
He said, according to the father of the deceased, on April 22, 2018, while the deceased was coming back from work, the group had a confrontation with him which broke into a fight, and in the process they chased, overpowered him, and then stabbed him in the chest.
Otu who said he was attached to the Rapid Response Squad in Tolu Divisional Police Headquarters at Olodi Apapa, Lagos, in 2018, when the incident occurred, stated that after the deceased’s father identified the first defendant as one of the suspects in the conspiracy and murder case, he arrested him.
The witness said, “The first defendant was interrogated by me and the Divisional Police Officer, Chief Superintendent of Police Uduak, and in the presence of the complainant, the first defendant confessed to belonging to a group called Ibile Boys.
“The first defendant said on the day of the incident, he and his group numbering 23, were coming back from a joint called Rita’s joint, and along the way, they had a fight with the deceased and one Alome brought out a knife and another person in the group, Adejo, collected the knife and stabbed the deceased in the chest.
“He said they left him there and took to their heels, but by the time the deceased was rushed to the hospital, he was confirmed dead.
“I visited the hospital on April 23, 2018, I saw where the deceased’s lifeless body was lying on the floor; we took his photos. The deceased’s family did not agree that the body should be taken for an autopsy.
“He was buried according to the Muslim rights. Because of the nature of the case, the case file and the defendants were transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Panti, Yaba,” Otu said.
During a cross-examination by the counsel for the first and third defendants, Lekan Egberungbe, and counsel for the second defendant, Mary Jibueze, the witness said he was not at the station when the deceased’s father came to report the case.
He also said that he was not the one who arrested the second and third defendants.
However, Justice Adesanya adjourned the case till November 1 and 2, 2023, for continuation of trial.
The trio were arraigned on June 1, 2023, before Justice Yetunde Adesanya.
The state prosecuting counsel, Olayemi Shofolu, had told the court that the defendants committed the offences on April 22, 2018.
He said the trio unlawfully killed Ajibola.
Shofolu told the court that the incident took place at Odus Bus Stop by Kirikiri Road, Olodi Apapa.
The prosecutor also said that the defendants were found to belong to a fraternity group called ‘IBILE’ and an unlawful society.
According to the prosecutor, the offence committed contravened Sections 223 and 42, of the criminal law of Lagos State 2015.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges against them.
Consequently, Justice Adesanya adjourned the case.
