Executive director, Africa Network For Environmental and Economy Justice (ANEEJ), Rev. David Ugolor and nine others were yesterday arraigned before a Benin Magistrate Court, Evbuoriaria, Oredo local government area of Edo State, in connection with the murder of? Olaitan Oyerinde, Principal Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
In suit No MOR/326C/2012, Inspector General of Police Vs Ten others including Rev. David Ugolor, presided over by Chief Magistrate Idiake F.O, the suspects are facing eight-count-charge of conspiracy, murder and treasonable felony.
They are: Garba Usman Maisamari (male), 39 years; Danjuman Musa (male), 23 years; Muritala Usman (male), 23 Moses Asamah Okoro (male), aged 32 years; Auta Umaru Ali (male), 26 Umaru Adamu, Alias Duna (male), 33 Wilfred Iserhiehi (male), 30 Hassan AlyuBabete (male) 44 and Idris Abdulhamid, (male) 24.
The charge reads in part: “That you, Rev. David Ugolor (male) on the same date, time and place and at the aforementioned Magistrate District did procure one Garba Usman Maisamari to murder one Olaitan Oyerinde (male) now deceased and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 7 (d) and punishable under section 319 of Criminal Code Act CAP c. Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.’’
Lead Counsel to Ugolor, Olayewole Afolabi had in a petition accused the police Inspector General of fragrantly disobeying court order granting the detained human rights activists bail.
Speaking with journalists, Afolabi noted that the State Security Service had since handed the arrested suspects to the police authority for persecution, adding that the police would have also arraigned the SSS’s suspects along with those arrested by them.
The legal practitioner had earlier told the magistrate that a Benin High Court had granted an unconditional bail to his client, stressing that the police authorities had failed to carry out the order.
Meanwhile, the case has been adjourned for September 27, 2012 for mention