Court arraigns suspected killers of Kwara monarch, Onikoro

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

The Kwara State High Court has released one of the suspected killers of the Onikoro of Koro, Oba Peter Aremu Cole, on bail due to health conditions.

The suspect, Olowofela Oyebanji, was the second defendant among others arraigned before Magistrate Monisola Kamson for alleged culpable homicide.

Oyebanji’s counsel, Barrister Udeh, revealed during the arraignment at the Magistrate Court that his client’s bail application at the High Court had been granted. He explained that Oyebanji could not physically appear in court because he was hospitalized in Lagos, Lagos State. He, however, promised to ensure his presence at the next adjourned date. Magistrate Monisola Kamson adjourned the case until the 9th of next month.

Meanwhile, the prosecutor, Abdullah Sanni, applied to substitute the police report to add another suspect, Saliu Murtala, who was recently arrested, bringing the total number of suspects arraigned in connection with the case to 14.

Other suspects—Godwin Jacob, Adefalolu Ayodele, Tewasie Francis, Babatunde Samuel, Godwin Joseph, Issa, Miracle Solomon, Abraham Kehinde, Muhammed Bello, Muhammed Muhammed, Ahmadu Umaru, and Muhammed Dankai, all of different addresses in Ekiti State—have been further remanded.

It will be recalled that Aremu Simon Adeyemi reported the case at Eruku Police Division, leading to the suspects being dragged to court for alleged offences of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, kidnapping, and giving false information.

Adeyemi, through the police report, narrated how the suspects pointed a gun at him, ordering him to follow them when he challenged them after noticing their movement around his grandson.

He revealed his grandson escaped through the backdoor while the suspects proceeded to kill the monarch, kidnap his wife, and another person identified as Mercy. Adeyemi added that he was later released while the deceased’s wife and Mercy were held hostage.