Ondo court grants three murder suspects bail

By Boye Oyeyemi

An Akure Magistrate’s Court in Ondo State has granted bail to three men standing trial over the alleged murder of 35-year-old Adesami Adejola at Labata riverside in Aaromi Obu community.

The defendants, Richard Samuel, 38, Faniyi Shola, 20, and Adamu Musa, 33, were arraigned on two counts bordering on conspiracy to commit murder and murder.

According to the police, the defendants, alongside other suspects still at large, were allegedly involved in an incident on July 10, 2026, during which Adejola was assaulted, fell backward and became unconscious before he later died.

The prosecution, led by Josephine Awala, urged the court to remand the defendants pending legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions, while efforts continued to apprehend the other suspects.

However, defence lawyers F.M. Abisagbo and A.W. Olawoye opposed the application, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish sufficient grounds linking their clients to the alleged killing.

The lawyers further told the court that the defendants had previously been granted administrative bail and had reported to the police as required, maintaining that they had neither fled nor attempted to frustrate the investigation.

In her ruling, Magistrate F.A. Akinboboye declined the prosecution’s remand request, holding that the evidence presented did not disclose sufficient probable cause to warrant keeping the defendants in custody.

Consequently, the court admitted each defendant to bail in the sum of N500,000, with two sureties in like sum, and adjourned the case until September 9, 2026, for a progress report or further hearing, while directing the defendants to cooperate with the police.