Muyideen Aliyu, llorin
A Kwara State high court has arraigned two suspects, for assaulting medical personnel at the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH) on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, intimidation, assault, disturbance of public peace and obstruction of public servants.
The defendants, Abdulsalam Hamzat and Adetunji Victoria, appeared before Justice A.L. Ishaq and pleaded not guilty to all the charges preferred against them.
Following their arraignment, counsel to the second defendant, Barrister John Ogedengbe, applied for bail on liberal terms.
Ogedengbe also stood in for counsel to the first defendant, Barrister T.M. Onaolapo, informed the court that both defendants had earlier secured bail from a magistrate’s court and had complied with the conditions attached to the order.
After considering the application, Justice Ishaq granted bail to the defendants in the sum of N1 million each.directed each defendant to provide two reliable sureties before enjoying the bail. adjourned the matter until July 30, for the commencement of trial.
Speaking with journalists after the proceedings, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Ayoola Idowu Akande, reiterated the State Government’s determination to prosecute the case to its logical conclusion. stressed that the prosecution team remained fully prepared to establish the charges before the court.
“As you are aware, they pleaded not guilty, so the onus is on us as the prosecution team to prove our case, which we are ready to do,” he said.
The DPP explained that the prosecution did not oppose the bail application because the defendants had already secured bail from a magistrate’s court and the offences were bailable.
“The defendants were granted bail because they were earlier taken to the magistrate’s court and the magistrate’s court had granted them bail. Out of the magnanimity of the court, which we consented to, we are not opposing their bail,” he said.
Akande stressed that the government’s interest lay in presenting credible evidence rather than persecuting the defendants.
“We do not want to be seen as persecuting them.
What we are interested in is proving our case through credible evidence, and we are confident that justice will be done at the end of the day,” he added.
He further noted that the prosecution would send a strong message against attacks on healthcare workers carrying out their lawful duties.