Samuel Oladipupo Essoodee
Amid Nigerians’ expectation of speedy justice for Kolade Johnson, a youth who was killed in Lagos by a trigger-happy police inspector on Sunday, an Ebute Meta Magistrates’ Court has remanded the accused Olalekan Ogunyemi, till May 6.
Magistrate A.O. Salawu remanded Ogunyemi at Ikoyi Prisons, pending advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Prosecuting Inspector Kehinde Olatunde told the court that the defendant committed the offence on March 31, at about 5:10pm, at Onipetesi Estate, Idi-Mangoro, Lagos.
He alleged that Ogunyemi, who served in the Anti-Cultism Unit of Lagos State Police Command, shot Johnson, a 36-year-old father of one, to death, with his Ak47 rifle.
The offence, the prosecutor said, contravened Section 223 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Olatunde informed the court that he had a remand application order by the police to remand the defendant for the next 30 days. The plea of the defendant was not taken by the court because magistrates’ courts don’t have jurisdiction to try a charge of murder.
But the defendant’s counsel, Sola Adeyemi, opposed the 30-day remand request.
Adeyemi prayed the court to instead remand the defendant for the next 14 days.
In a bench ruling, Magistrate Salawu upheld the prosecutor’s application and adjourned till May 6.
