Obodeh killing: Dismissed police officer seek bail over deteriorating health

From: Eben Kingsley Enasco

One of the four dismissed policemen, Adeleke Adedeji, who has been remanded in the prison custody for alleged stealing, murder and conspiracy, has said he does not want to die in prison over a curable disease and for an offence he did not commit.

Adeleke’s plea for release was contained in a suit filed by his Solicitors, Mr Paul Osarenkhoe at the Federal High Court in Benin City, Edo state.

It will be recalled that Adeleke and three other policemen of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, (SARS), Lagos were arrested, dismissed and remanded in prison custody for allegedly torturing and killing a car dealer, Benson Obode in May 21, 2015 in Benin City.

The four policemen were also accused of stealing the sum of N330,000 from the account of late Obode using his ATM card after they have killed him. An act that was committed in Port Harcourt branches of First Bank and Ecobank ATM units.

ALSO SEE; NPF dismisses 4 policemen over Benson’s murder

It took the family of Benson 63 days to locate the morgue where his corpse was deposited by one of the policemen, Musa Oniyo with an unknown name.

Other policemen are Oniyo Musa aged 35, Abena John aged 33 and Henry Shobowale aged 32.

They were remanded in prison custody by an Oredo Magistrates court and has since remained in custody waiting for trial.

In the suit, Adeleke is seeking a declaration that his continuous detention without trial since August 2015 for an alleged offence of conspiracy and murder was unreasonable, illegal and unconstitutional.

He is also seeking a declaration ordering his release unconditionally pending a formal arraignment.

ALSO SEE: Court reminds four policemen in prison for murder of a car dealer

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In an affidavit to support the motion, wife of Adeleke, Modupe, said her husband has been managing a life-threatening ailment and has been advised to abstain from strenuous activities.

She stated that her husband’s health condition has deteriorated as a result of the prison condition adding that the Benin Prisons lacked the facilities to manage his health.

In a counter affidavit by Legal Officer of the Nigeria Police, Mr. Ledee N-ueh, urged the court to dismiss the suit on ground of incompetent, frivolous, misconceived and an abuse of court processes.

Ledee said the dismissed police officers came to Benin without an authorization to arrest the deceased. Presiding Judge, Justice Olayinka Tokode adjourned the case for ruling until April 18, 2016