A traditional ruler in Oke-Erinja, via Owode in Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State, High Chief Adebowale Akinwumi, has been arraigned before an Ado-Odo Chief Magistrate’s Court, for allegedly killing the community’s youth leader, Kazeem Abegunrin, by pouring acid on him. The accused person is the native head of Oke-Erinja, while the deceased was the youth leader of the community.
A two-count charge preferred against the native head by the police states that on March 1, this year did commit a felony with murder and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code of Ogun State. Also, the suspect was accused of unlawfully killing Kazeem Abegunrin by pouring a substance suspected to be acid on his head and thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code of Ogun State.
The accused person was remanded in Ilaro Correctional Centre and his case was adjourned to May 25, for mentioning. Meanwhile, the police first information report indicated that the slain youth leader was killed for questioning the sale of several hectares of land belonging to the community. However, a human rights group, the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice (CHRSJ) has petitioned the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Edward Ajogun, and the state government, accusing the police in Owodo-Idiroko area of the state of trying to frustrate the murder trial.
According to the CHRSJ, the police had declined any autopsy or corona inquest to be performed on the deceased youth leader and the circumstances of his murder. It particularly accused the police of deliberately denying the case any serious investigation, with a view to extricating the accused person. The group added that rather than pursue and arrest other conspirators in the murder case, the police instead, arrested and detained one Mr. Isikilu Abegunrin, the younger brother of the slain youth leader, over the burning down of the suspect’s house, by angry youths.
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