Raid on Okada riders: Court orders remand of 12 suspected killers of Police officer, CSP Abonde

Twelve suspected killers of a police officer on duty, CSP Kazeem Abonde, a member of the Lagos State Task Force on Environment, while on a raid on commercial motorcycle operators plying restricted areas in the state, were on arraignment, remanded in prison custody by a Magistrates Court sitting in Sabo Yaba, Lagos State.

The remanded suspected killers were identified as: Imurana Mohammed, 22; Yahaya Sefiyanu, 26; Umar Musa, 20; Danladi Aziga, 25; Ogbole Mohammed, 23; Haruna Ismail, 23; and Abubakar Talla, 25; Sahab Adam, 28; Oseni Hassan, 23; Sulaimon Usman, 21; Ibrahim Mohammed, 23; and Kigbu Oga, 30.

They are being prosecuted at the Magistrate Court presided Magistrate O.Y. Adefope on a three-count charge of conspiracy to murder, murder and attempt to murder.

The prosecutor from the State Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Panti, Yaba, Augustine Nwabuisi, stated before the court that the suspected killers committed the offences on September 23, at Ajao Estate, Lagos.

The Prosecutor stated that they killed CSP Abonde while on official duty to enforce a ban by the Lagos State Government on the plying of motorcycles in restricted areas of the state.

Nwabuisi told the court that the suspects hit the police officer with dangerous weapons to the point of unconscious, saying the victim later died.

The Prosecutor requested for 30 days remand of the defendants, disclosing that investigation in the case has been concluded while the police has sent the case file to the State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) for advice.

The Prosecutor said that some of the suspected killers made confessional statements during interrogation at a police station.

The suspected killers were represented by three counsels – Spurgeon Ataene, I.B. Ahmad and Yilja Jibril – who made appearance in court.

The counsels had opposed the remand, arguing  the court should ignore the prosecutor’s request and release the defendants on bail.

The Magistrate, after listening to all sides, directed that the suspected killers be remanded for 30 days at the Ikoyi Custodial Centre, pending advice from the DPP; and adjourned the case to December 21, 2021, for mention.