An Ebute-Metta Chief Magistrate Court, Lagos, has ordered the remand of the chairman of Meran branch of National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Mr. Wasiu Onibudo, 62, in prison custody over alleged offences of conspiracy and murder.

The court presided over by Chief Magistrate Afolashade Botoku gave the remand order on Friday, following an application for remand filed in the court by the police prosecutors, Mr. Godwin O. Osuyi and Daniel Ighodalo of the Legal Department of Lagos State Police Command, Panti-Yaba.

Osuyi informed the court that the application was filed pursuant to section 264 of the Administration of Criminal Justice of Lagos State, 2011.

He informed the court that the accused was alleged to have conspired with others now at large and killed one Taiwo Ogunlaja by stabbing him severally on the body.

He further informed the court that the accused committed the offence during an NURTW meeting held on December 3, 2015, at the union’s headquarters situated at 365, Abeokuta Expressway, Abule-egba, Lagos.

In demanding the remand of the accused, the prosecutor informed the court that the remand application was supported with a 10-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Inspector Bartholomew Ali of IGP Monitoring Unit, Abuja, and attached with a charge sheet, a petition written to the police by plenary solicitors, the deceased photograph, medical certificate of cause of the death and a statement of a witness named Ahmed Balogun.

He therefore urged the court to remand the accused pending when the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, would issue an advice on the matter.

But lawyer to the accused, Mr. Spourgeon Ataene urged the court to discountenance the police’s remand application by considering Section 264 (1)(2)(3)(4)(5)(9) and (10) of ACJ of Lagos State, 2011.

The section, he claimed, gave the magistrate power to look into the possible cause of accused person’s action, which he said would determine if the remand application filed against the accused was to be granted or not.

He therefore urged the court to discountenance the remand application and admit bail to his client pending an advice from the office of the DPP.

However, Chief Magistrate Botoku while dismissing the objection raised by Spourgeon ordered that the accused be remanded in prison custody for the first 30 days, pending when the DPP would issue an advice on the matter.

The chief magistrate also ordered the police to duplicate the case file and forward it to the DPP for advice while the matter was adjourned till February 29. (Nigerian Pilot)

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