Missing baby’s corpse lands 4 in court

By Kayode Olabanji
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Four men; Oluwole Fatoba, 45, Taiwo Ebenezer , 45, Mathew Adeleye, 39, and Olusola Olugbogi, 58, have been dragged before an Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting at Oke-Eda, for allegedly concealing the corpse of a newborn child kept under their care for the purpose of preservation before burial.

The Hope Metro gathered that the accused persons, who are mortuary attendants with the Ondo State Specialist Hospital, in Akure, are standing trial  on four-count charge bordering on conspiracy, felony, misconduct and theft.

The prosecution said the accused allegedly committed the offence between  May 16,  and May 18,  2019, at a time not specified, at the State Specialist Hospital, Akure.

The alleged offence was said to be contrary to section 383 and punishable under sections 516,242(a)(b), 329 and 390(8)(b) of the criminal Code Cap 37 volume 1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge.

The police  prosecutor, Sergeant Suleiman Abdullateef, told the court four of the nine  prosecution witnesses were in court.

Abdulateef, therefore  prayed the court for an adjournment to enable him study the case file and bring all the witnesses before the court by the next adjournment .

Speaking on behalf of lawyers who appeared for the accused, Mr A.O Olademehin, did not oppose the adjournment sought by the prosecutor, but urged the court to grant   the accused   bail in  most liberal term.

He told the court that the defendants are civil servants, who will never jump bail.

Counsel holding the brief for  the complainant, Mr Dele Kuboye, urged the court to discountenance the oral bail application made by counsel representing the accused persons.

He said the chances that the defendants would jump bail were very high, and therefore Justice should be made in line with the public policy.

He prayed the court to exercise it’s discretion in favour of the victims, and  order the  remand of the defendants in prison custody pending the commencement of  trial.

The Magistrate, Mrs Victoria Bob-Manuel, held, “The four count-charge before the court were bailable offences, irrespective of  the weight of public opinion or interest in the case, the Law still considered  the defendants innocent until the contrary is proven.

Bob-Manuel granted the accused bail in sum of N500,000 each with two sureties each in like sum, who she said must be residents within the state, preferably within the jusrisdiction of the court

She added that  the sureties must swear to affidavit of means, and attach  their two passport photographs, including  that of the defendants.

She said, “One of the sureties for each accused person must be a civil servant of Ondo State, from Grade Level 9 upward and shall produce their last promotion letter, and shall produce evidence of tax clearance of this current year where applicable.

“The addresses of the  sureties both the residents and businesses shall be verified by the court’s police,”she stated.

Bob-Manuel adjourned the case till July 2, 2019 for mention.