At Last, Kwara Court Grants Traditionalist Tal’Olohun Bail After 75 Days In Detention

An Ilorin Chief Magistrate’s Court, on Monday, granted bail to a traditionalist, Abdullazeez Adegbola, who is standing trial for alleged defamation before the court.

Tal’Olohun breathed the air of freedom after spending 75 days at the Ilorin Correctional Centre in the state capital.

The traditionalist, who was arraigned before the court on August 17, 2023, for alleged criminal defamation and other offences, was ordered to be remanded in the correctional centre’s custody by the court.

Tal’Olohun is standing trial over a five-count charges of alleged criminal conspiracy, inciting public disturbance, disturbance of public peace, criminal defamation of character and intentional insult before the court, contrary to sections 97, 210, 392, and 114 of the penal code law of Nigeria.

He pleaded not guilty to the offences in the court and was ordered to be remanded at the correctional facility by the Court.

Recall that the court had declined to grant the suspect bail when the case came up for hearing on October 5 and October 24, 2023, respectively.

When the case came up for hearing at the court this Monday, Tal’Olohun’s counsel, Mr Mufutau Olobi, announced the withdrawal of the preliminary objection filed before the court.

Olobi later moved a fresh application for bail for Tal’Olohun, praying the court to grant him bail and release him from the correctional facility in which he had been kept in the past 75 days.

The counsel said that Tal’Olohun was ready to abide by the conditions given by the court, adding that he would be present at the court whenever he is needed and would provide a reliable surety that would stand for him before the court.

The trial Chief Magistrate, Mohammed Ibrahim, who presided over the case granted bail to Tal’Olohun in the sum of N200,000 and two sureties in the like sum in which one of them must be his blood relation and must be resident within the jurisdiction of the court.

The Magistrate also said that the sureties must submit seven passport photographs with the court Registrar.

The court further ordered that Tal’Olohun must be coming to court fortnightly, adding that a register must be opened for him by the court registrar.

The court, however, adjourned the case till November 21, 2023.