BY IFEOMA IKEM
The Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department of Lagos State Police Command, Panti-Yaba, charged 17 suspects in connection with the killing of Managing Director of Lagos Free Trade Zone, (FTZ) Lekki, Mr. Tajudeen Disu.
Late Disu was murdered on Monday during an uproar that occurred between the indigenes of Okunraye Village, one of the communities that hosted the Free Trade Zone, and the management of the Zone.
Those brought before Chief Magistrate Folashade Botoku led-court includes: Jaiye Dele, 40; Alhaji Tajudeen Jegede, 68, Chief Kayode Raufu, 60; Saidi Akanni, 41; Raufu Agunreje 31, Sunday Bulus 30; Taiwo Oyelade, 21; Abiola Ogunsanwo, 20.
Others includes; Stephen Okuriaye 20; Taiwo Gafar 38; Banji Agunrege 37; Ahmed Gafar 25; Moses Okoro 30, Talabi Onadri 43; Ipaye Oriyomi 25; Yusuf Quadri 23 and Tunde Yusuf 27.
The prosecution led by Chief Superintendent of Police, Enoch Edobor, the Head of Legal Department of Police Command at Lagos’s CID, Panti, informed the court of a remand application brought against the suspects in pursuant to section 264(1)(2) of the Administration Criminal Justices of Lagos State, 2011.
He urged the court to remand the suspects in prisons custody pending the time the police will complete their investigations on the matter.
However, the lawyers to the suspects, F. C. Morka; Ola Ogunbiyi and Enitinwa urged the Court to refuse the remand applications brought against their clients by the prosecution.
The trio argued that the Court has no jurisdiction to grant the remand applications of the prosecution as it is not the competent Court to try them.
They therefore urged the Court to dismiss the remand applications.
However, the presiding Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Botoku dismissed the submissions of the defence counsels saying that what the prosecution filed before her Court was a remand applications not a charge.
She consequently ordered that all the suspects be remanded in State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department’s custody, Panti-Yaba, for the first 30 days.