Court orders remand of seven suspects for ‘murder of police officer’ in Ibadan

A magistrate court in Ibadan has ordered the remand of seven men at the Agodi correctional facility over the alleged murder of a police officer.

E. A. Idowu, the presiding chief magistrate, who didn’t take the plea of the accused for want of jurisdiction, ordered their remand at the correctional facility on Tuesday.

Idowu referred the case file to the directorate of public prosecution (DPP) for advice and adjourned the matter to July 10.

The suspects’ arraigned for conspiracy and murder of the police officer were Sarafa Lateef (30), Saminu Ibrahim (28), Oloso Sikiru (36), and Fatai Yusuf (45).

Others are Moruf Olanrewaju (42), Isiaka Rafiu (40), and Anuoluwa Akinola (32).

Amos Adewale, the prosecutor, told the court that the suspects conspired on April 25 somewhere on Iseyin road in the Moniya area of Ibadan, and caused the death of one Augustine Okoro, a 43-year-old police inspector.

He said the defendants beat and stoned Okoro to death while the deceased was conducting stop-and-search routine duty in the area.

On April 25, TheCable reported that a police officer was killed while chasing some suspected criminals in Ibadan.

Adewale Osifeso, the Oyo police spokesperson, said hoodlums attacked officers who were trying to arrest a driver who had defaulted by escaping the stop-and-search sign and veered into a motor park. 

He said the hoodlums forcefully attempted to drag a rifle from one of the officers which led to a shot that led to the death of the officer.