Senate Leader, Mr. Teslim Folarin (in agbada), entering an Agodi Prisons vehicle in Ibadan, Oyo State ... on Tuesday. Inset: Folarin peeping from the vehicle shortly before it headed to the priosons.
The Senate Leader, Mr. Teslim Folarin, and three others were on Tuesday arraigned before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, in connection with Thursday’s killing of a factional leader of the state council of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alhaji Lateef Salako (a.k.a Eleweomo).
They were remanded at the Agodi Prisons, Ibadan, after a two-count charge of murder and conspiracy was read to them.
The others arraigned with Folarin were Raimi Ismaila, Olaide Raji and Jaiyeola Bankole.
A former President of the, Nigeria Bar Association, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), with about 14 other lawyers appeared for the defendants while Mr. M.O Ojeh was the prosecuting counsel.
Though their pleas were not taken because the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter, the charge was read to their hearing.
The first charge against Folarin and others reads, “That the accused persons on December 30, 2010 at about 11.30 a.m. at Olunloyo Ogbere, Ibadan’ in the Ibadan magisterial district did conspire with others at large to kill Salako.”
On the second charge, Ojeh told the court that Folarin, Ismaila, Raji, Bankole and others at large “on the same date and time at Olunloyo Ogbere, Ibadan did murder Salako by shooting him with guns.”
Before the charge was read, Akeredolu wondered why the matter was brought before the magistrates’ court when it was clear that it (court) lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter.
He nevertheless pleaded on behalf of Folarin that he be remanded at Agodi Prison pending the time a proper application would filed at the High Court and for proper bail application to be taken.
In her ruling, the Chief Magistrate, Mrs Fatima Badrudeen, agreed with Akeredolu that the court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the case, hence the refusal of the accused to take their pleas.
But the magistrate ordered that Folarin and others be remanded at the Agodi Prisons and adjourned the case till January 14.
But the development ruffled Folarin’s loyalists, who stormed the court premises in their hundreds when news of his arraignment spread.
The embittered supporters amidst tears rained curses on the embattled senator’s opponents as he and his co-accused were led into a waiting van belonging to the Agodi Prisons.
They also sang songs flaying Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala and called for the immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Command, Mr. Baba Bolanta, over his alleged ‘partisanship in the politics’ of the state.
Security was beefed up at the court premises as many of Folarin’s supporters were locked out.
Some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party opposed to the second term bid of the governor, who had earlier kept vigil with the senator at the State Criminal Investigation Department, Iyaganku, were also at the court.
They were visibly disturbed by the court pronouncement.
A leader of the coalition against Alao-Akala, Senator Lekan Balogun, told journalists at the end of the short court session that the development was an evidence of the ‘ruthlessness of Alao-Akala and Bolanta.’
He wondered how a case of murder could be sustained against a man who, according to him, did not see his alleged victim.
“We have severally called for the redeployment of Bolanta over his partisanship. Bolanta should leave our state alone. Let him allow us to live in peace. He must go,” Balogun said.
Salako was killed at the IDC Primary School, Olunloyo in Ona Ara Local Government Area of the state venue of the PDP local government congress on Thursday.
He was said to have been killed during a bloody encounter between his followers and loyalists of Folarin.
Bolanta, thereafter, invited the senator to come and state his roles in the incident. His security aides were also recalled for questioning.
The senator, in company with Balogun, a former PDP Deputy National Chairman (South), Alhaji Yekini Adeojo; ex-Minister of Special Duties, Elder Wole Oyelese and former Secretary to Oyo State Government, Mr. Sharafadeen Ali, reported at the police headquarters Eleyele on Monday and met behind closed doors with Bolanta for over three hours.
At the end of the meeting, Folarin still accompanied with the PDP bigwigs, was led to the SCID, Iyaganku, where detectives investigating Salako’s killing took his statement.
He was not allowed to go home on Monday, hence the PDP bigwigs decided to keep vigil with him till Tuesday morning when he appeared before the court.
Meanwhile, the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of Ona Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mr. Tunde Olayiwola, has said that Salako’s killing was meant to create confusion in the state’s PDP.
Olayiwola. in whose local government the factional NURTW leader was killed, disclosed this to journalists in Ibadan.
He commended the state police command and other security agencies for maintaining peace in the state after the killing.
The PDP chief also lauded members of the NURTW for remaining calm in spite of the pain and loss occasioned by the killing of their boss.
Source:http://www.punchng.com/
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