Stories by Ameh Ejekwonyilo
Abuja
Constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, Chief Femi Falana (SAN) has accused the Nigeria Police Force of truncating the gubernatorial elections that took place over the weekend in Ekiti state.
He stated this while briefing journalists in Abuja over the detention of some Ekiti state government officials including a state commissioner and chairman of Ikere Local Government of the state.
“It is ploy to keep the accused persons until after the Ekiti gubernatorial polls are over. Not just one person, the chairman of Ikere Local Government is also involved. It is a deliberate ploy; it all in an attempt to disrupt the election.”
The police had on last Wednesday withdrew the terror charges it instituted against a serving commissioner in Ekiti State, Mr. Funminiyi Afuye, and 11 others before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
The application for withdrawal was filed on Wednesday shortly after Justice Evoh Chukwu adjourned the case due to the failure of the police to produce the accused persons in court.
The application dated June 18, 2014 was signed by the Legal/Prosecution Section of the Force Headquarters in Abuja, Mr. Oloye Torugbene, who also signed the charges against the accused persons.
The application read, “With due respect, my Lord, I have found it convenient to inform this honourable court of our intention to discontinue the above pending case.
“This discontinuance is also necessitated by the need for further investigation in the case.
“We are therefore looking forward to seeing you accept our request please.”
Apart from Afunye (57), other accused persons are Idowu Aladejobi (68), Afunye Jide (30), Anisulowo Kayode (46), Azeez Suleiman (19), Ajayi Idowu (18), Babadi Ajayi (35) and Abiodun Omoniyi (68).
Others are Oyedapo Olaoluwa (29), Sunday Olalere (27), Dapo David (26), Akinyemi Tayo (25), and others said to be at large.
The case was on Tuesday filed and assigned to Justice Chukwu, who subsequently instructed his court registrar to inform parties of the Wednesday’s proceedings.
On Wednesday, after the matter was stood down for about one and a half hour, and repeated calls made to the prosecutor, Torugbene, the police did not show up in court, and the accused persons were also not produced.
In urging the court to adjourn the matter till Thursday, Falana said if the matter was adjourned till next week, “they would have achieved their objective”.
“Among the accused persons are commissioner and local government chairmen; and the governorship election is coming up on Saturday. There is nothing in the charge, it’s just that,” Falana said.
The judge acceded to Falana’s request and adjourned till Thursday (today), ordering hearing notice to be served on the police.
The police had filed the terrorism charges following an assault on the convoy of Governor Kayode Fayemi, in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State capital, on June 8.
The police had on the said day reportedly attacked the convoy of Governor Fayemi following the disruption of a peaceful rally embarked upon by members of the All Progressives Congress.
But many of the accused persons are Fayemi’s loyalists.
The alleged assault on the governor’s convoy was said to have resulted in the death of one Peter Akin while many others sustained varying degrees of injury.
In the three counts, the police alleged that the accused persons conspired among themselves to commit an act of terrorism under sections 1(2)(d), 2(2)(h) and 17 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Amendment Act, 2013.
They had alleged that the accused persons shot and used dangerous weapons/devices “which resulted in the death one Peter Akin”.
The prosecution also alleged that the accused persons “incited, promised and induced other persons to commit an act of terrorism”, actions which the police alleged constituted an act of terrorism.
