Court grants bail to two journalists remanded over petition by Kwara Gov’s Spokesman
A Magistrate court sitting in Ilorin has granted bail to two siblings; Dare Akogun and Abdulrasheed Akogun remanded on Friday for allegedly defaming and inciting the public against the government of Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
The Magistrate, Muhammed Ibraheem granted the bail application after reviewing the offenses and granting the applicants with a sum of N500,000 each and the provision of two surety who are known resident of the area of the jurisdiction of the court.
The office of the Commissioner of Police was primarily the state prosecutor in the case before it was taken over by the office of the State’s Attorney General, with Abdulmumeen Busari leading the legal team.
Barrister Busari had argued that the bail motion was served while the office of the Commissioner for Police was the counsel and would rather the court grant them 48 hours to review the bail motion.
Senior Magistrate Ibraheem overruled the request and ruled that the bail motion should continue hearing.
The counsel to the defendant Barrister T.N Olaitan quoted Section 35, 36 sub 5 of the 1999 constitution, section 165, 169 and 170 of the Kwara state administration of criminal justice, on an order of the court admitting the defendant’s application for bail or in the alternative.
After granting the bail application, magistrate Muhammed Ibraheem adjourned further hearing on the case till November 23, 2022.
It would be recalled that the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mallam Rafiu Ajakaye, through a petition to the Commissioner of Police accused the duo of defamation and inciting the public against the government.
Ajakaye said AbdulRasheed posted a comment on the popular WhatsApp platform, Kwara Commission, accusing government of the day of being most corrupt and of facilitating N15 million to prosecute the last election of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Kwara State chapter.
According to report, during the intervention of Kwara State Police Commissioner, Paul Odama, advised that they apologise but the duo claimed that the apology could be used against them both now and in the future by the government.
The accused further claimed during the intervention that they have pieces of evidence to proof their claims, hence they are ready to press the charges against the state government, a development that made the police commissioner to order prosecution of the case.
