Court Remands Ajagungbade Emir In Prison Over Alleged Murder, Robbery In Osun

A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo on Thursday remanded Oyeyemi Olalekan, popularly called ‘Emir’ at the Ile-Ife Correctional Centre over alleged murder, robbery.

Emir, who is facing charges bordering on murder, kidnapping and armed robbery, is to be re-arraigned March 5 for continuation of his case.

According to report, Emir was arrested by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit of the Osun State Police command in September 2023.

Following his arrest, he was swiftly transferred to the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The Command had issued a wanted notice for Olalekan on July 2, 2022, on charges of murder, cultism, and armed robbery.

The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, appointed him a member of the Transport Disciplinary Committee of the state on January 9, 2023.

When he was brought to the court for arraignment, his counsel, Edmund Biriomoni, challenged the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the case.

Biriomoni said “We were served with an 11-count charge. We are challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the matter. We are challenging the jurisdiction of the court to take the plea of the defendant on counts four to eight which bother on murder.

“We filed a preliminary objection to the first charge that has murder from number one to four and the prosecutor substituted the charge, taking the numbers we are challenging to four to eight.”

The prosecutor, Umar Alli, urged the court to withdraw a charge dated 16th October 2023 and substitute it with a charge dated 31st January 2024, contending that objection can only be raised after the plea had been taken.

After the withdrawal and substitution of the charge, counsel to the defendant also withdrew the preliminary objection to the first charge.

Justice Emmanuel Ayoola thereby ordered the remand of the defendant in Ile-Ife Correctional Centre and directed his counsel to file his objection to the new charge.

Justice Ayoola subsequently adjourned the case to March 5.