By Ayodele Popoola
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The Ondo State Police command yesterday arraigned a 35-year-old trader, Esther Agbo, and two security guards, John Benjamin, 32, and Robert Christopher; 37 before an Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court over the death of a driver.
The defendants were charged to court on a two-count charge of conspiracy and murder.
The prosecutor, Inspector Abdulateef Sulaiman informed the court that the defendants committed the offence on May 22, at about 12:30 pm at Odo Community, Ijare Road, Akure.
Sulaiman told the court the first defendant who is a trader, conspired with the two other defendants and others at large to commit a felony, to wit murder.
The prosecutor further alleged the second and third defendants, Benjamin and Christopher killed a driver, Adewale Olowolafe, by beating him to death.
He explained that the defendants were later apprehended and when they were confronted with the allegation, they denied being responsible for the deceased death.
The offences, Sulaiman said, contravened Sections 516, 316, and 319 of the Criminal Laws of Ondo State 2016.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the offences.
The prosecutor prayed for the court to remand the defendants at the correctional centre pending advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP.
The defence counsels, A.V Ajayi and J.B Adeyogbe, while reacting to the application, told the court that the defendants were innocent of the alleged offences.
They urged the court to grant the defendants bail, claiming that there was no reasonable ground stated in the application linking the defendants to the alleged offences.
In his evidence before the court, the second defendant said he was at his duty post when he saw the deceased running after a fowl and they helped him to catch the bird.
“ After 20 minutes, we saw the man again at the other side of the road, chasing another fowl.
“ Some minutes later, we were called that the man fell and died with a fowl in his hand, and people started beating us. They accused us of being responsible for the man’s death and burnt our property, before they called the police,” he said
The Chief Magistrate, O.J. Kpemi, ordered that the defendant be remanded in the custody of the State Criminal Investigation Department and adjourned till June 3.