The Ondo State Police Command has arraigned five persons who were involved in the killing of Temitope Olorunfemi in Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria.
The defendants included Victor Amos, 30; Ismalia, 32; Pelumi Farotimi, 42; Nurudeen Kumuyi, 22, and Samuel Olatunji, 23, and they were arraigned on three counts of felony, unlawful murder and arson.
The five were arraigned before the state Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Akure, the state capital.
Olorunfemi was lynched by people in the Ijoka Area of Akure after his Toyota Camry car crushed one person to death and injured several other people on Easter Monday. The people had alleged that he was a yahoo boy.
The vehicle was also set ablaze by the people, who said they found some fetish items inside the car, which made them believe that he was an internet fraudster.
The family of late Olorunfemi had cried for justice and asserted that he was not a yahoo boy but Uber driver who only came to Akure for Easter break, ValidViewNetwork reports.
According to the prosecution, the defendants and others at large committed the offence on April 10, 2023, at 9.00 am, opposite Odopo Town Hall, along Ijoka Road, Akure.
The prosecutor, Inspector Nelson Akintimehin, informed the court that the accused conspired to commit a felony and unlawful murder of the deceased. He also said that the deceased was murdered in cold blood with sticks, stones and other offensive weapons.
He also told the court that the defendants as well, maliciously damaged one Toyota Camry car with number plate KRD 627 GY, by setting it ablaze.
According to the charge, the offences contravene Sections 324, 316(1) and 451(6)(J) of the Criminals Code, Cap 37 Vol. 2 Laws of Ondo State.
The prosecutor urged the court to remand the defendant at the Olokuta Correctional Centre pending the issuance of advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions of the state.
However, the defence counsel, O. Agbede, prayed for an adjournment to enable each defendant to file a counter affidavit to the application sought by the prosecutor.
In his ruling, the Chief Magistrate Musa Al-Yunus granted the requests of the defence lawyers and adjourned the case till April 27, 2023 for the response to the affidavit and ruling, ValidViewNetwork reports.
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