Court Remands Security Man For Killing Motorcyclist

For allegedly killing a 32-year-old Akintomiwa Owoseeni, a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting at Oke-Eda, Akure, the Ondo state capital, has ordered the remand of the security man, Sunday Michael, at the Correctional Centre.

The 28-year-old security man 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, a motorcyclist, by shooting him with a gun.

According to the prosecution, the defendant committed the offence on April 18, 2023, at about 10:45 pm 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 during the hours the defendant refers to as odd hours, which led to his death.

Adebayo said the defendant in his statement confessed to having committed the offence and the gun has been recovered.

According to the prosecution, the offence contravenes Section 316 and is punishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.

The defendant’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 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 be remanded at the Ondo Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till May 3, 2023, for a ruling.