A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting at Oke-Eda, Akure, the Ondo state capital, has ordered the remand of a 28-year-old security man, Sunday Michael, at the Ondo Correctional Centre over the alleged killing of 32-year-old Akintomiwa Owoseeni.
The accused, who was arraigned on a lone count of murder, was arrested by men of the Ondo State Police Command for causing the death of the deceased, who was a motorcyclist, by shooting him with a gun.
According to the prosecution, the defendant committed the offence on April 18, 2023 at about 10:45pm at Utaja community road, Idanre.
The prosecutor, Inspector Mary Adebayo told the court that the defendant while on duty, shot the deceased, Owoseeni with a barrel gun in his right lap for walking in the hours the defendant refers to as odd hour, which led to the his death.
Adebayo said the defendant in his statement confessed to have committed the offence and the gun has been recovered.
According to the prosecution, the offence contravenes Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
Michael’s plea was not taken after the charge was read to him.
Adebayo, through a written application, urged the court to remand the defendant, whose plea was not taken after the charge was read to him, at the correctional centre, pending an issuance of advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution(DPP).
The defence counsel, Adelanke Akinrata, in his response, urged the court to discountenance the prosecution’s application, as there was no probable cause to remand the defendant.
Akinrata said, while the deceased was struggling to collect the gun from the defendant in his duty post, the trigger of the gun was pulled and the shot hit him.
He prayed the court to grant the defendant bail on liberal terms.
Chief Magistrate Folashade Aduroja ordered that the defendant to be remanded at the Ondo Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till May 3, 2023 for ruling.
