An Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court has remanded three men in Kirikiri maximum correction centre, Lagos for 30 days over alleged robbery and murder of one Adeniyi Sanni an aide to Senator Olamilekan Adeola, otherwise called Yayi.
The accused were: Fred Okunnu, 43; Lucky Idudu, 33 and Segun Adedigba, 26.
The three are standing trial for alleged robbery and murder of late Sanni.
Recall that the Media aide to Senator Adeola, Kayode Odunaro revealed that Sanni was stopped on the fateful day (August 5) at a checkpoint around Berger area of Lagos on his way to his home, at Isheri by security agents.
He was asked to provide the documents of the car he was driving, which he did through his wife who sent all the documents to his phone via WhatsApp
“It was gathered that the wife called a while later and the late Mr. Sanni told him they are still checking the vehicle’s papers. His apprehensive wife later called on Mr Sanni’s associates to say she could no longer reach her husband on the phone necessitating the mobilisation of a search party” Odunaro revealed
The Chief Magistrate, T.R.A. Oladele, who did not take the defendants’ plea for want of jurisdiction, ordered their remand in custody for 30 days, pending advice from the office of Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
Oladele, thereafter, adjourned the matter till January 9, 2024 for further hearing.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Victor Eurada, had informed the court that the case was of conspiracy to kill, murder and armed robbery.
He said there was an affidavit in support of the remand form sworn to by the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), ASP Adekunle Adeshina.
The prosecution counsel advised that the defendants be remanded and the case file sent to the office of the DPP for onward review and proper advice.
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He said that the defendants had, on August 5, from 1.30 p.m. till 2.00 p.m. at New Garage, Berger bus stop, on the Lagos /Ibadan expressway, conspired to murder and commit armed robbery.
“The defendants and others at large unlawfully and intentionally shot and killed Sanni Adeniyi with an English brownie pistol, a locally made Beretta pistol and a knife,” he said.
Eurada further stated that the defendants stole the deceased’s unregistered Toyota Camry saloon car, 2017 model, black in colour, valued at N12 million, which was being driven by him as at the time he was flagged down.
“The second defendant, Lucky Idudu, with the intent to be taken as a member of the Nigerian Armed Forces, wore a military camouflage T-shirt, jungle hat and boots and flagged down the deceased to rob him.
“The defendants, during interrogation, said they had in their possession at the time of the robbery an English brownie pistol with three 7.65mm live ammunition and a locally-made beretta pistol with six live cartridges, which they could not give a satisfactory account of,” the prosecutor said.
According to him, the offences contravene Section 28(a)(b) of the Robbery and Firearms Act, 2004.
He said that they also contravened Sections 77(a)(b), 222(1)(a)(b) and (2)(a)(b), 233, 297(1)(2)(a)(b)and 299 of the Criminal Law of Lagos, 2015.
Section 233 stipulates 14 years imprisonment for anyone found guilty of conspiracy to kill any person whether such a person is in the state or elsewhere.
