A Lagos High Court in Igbosere Thursday adjourned till August 23 to hear five People’s Democratic Party (PDP) members’ bail application following their remand for alleged murder.
The defendants are Rotimi Kujore, Ismaila Abiola, Kehinde Fasasi, Fatai Adele and Amos Fawole.
They were accused of involvement in the killing of the PDP’s Apapa Local Government Area (LGA) Chairman, Adeniyi Aborishade, on July 21.
The police docked the men before Chief Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe of the Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court on July 25 for alleged conspiracy and unlawful killing.
Mr Komolafe granted the police’s request for their remand for 30 days in prison custody pending a Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advice on the case.
But they challenged their detention at the high court.
When the matter, came up yesterday before vacation judge, Justice Emmanuel Ogundare, the defendants’ counsel, Mr K. O. Osinowo, sought the leave of the court to apply for their bail.
He brought the application by way of an August 7 motion ex parte, explaining that the matter was for urgent hearing.
According to him, the defendants were being held for an offence they were innocent of.
“They were in a meeting and one of them got shot,” Osinowo told the judge.
He drew the court’s attention to the dismissal of the same charge against the Chairman of the PDP in Lagos State, Mr. Moshood Salvador and 10 others, by an Ikeja High Court on Tuesday, following a DPP report exonerating them.
He said: “I believe that the same thing will also happen when the DPP’s advice concerning these defendants is out.”
Justice Ogundare granted his prayer and adjourned the hearing of the motion ex-parte till August 23.
