Two persons have been remanded by a Magistrate Court sitting in Akure, Ondo state capital.
They were remanded over the alleged killing of Akure socialite, Sunday Adebayo Oladoyinbo, popularly known as Say Bayo, into prison.
The two suspects, Adeniyi Adebisi Atinuke,29, and 50-year-old Ade-Ojo Ilesanmi Isaac, were arrested over the death of the socialite, who was found dead in his vehicle around the Ijapo area of the state capital of Ondo, Akure.
Oladoyinbo was found dead in his car on December 10, 2023, after being declared missing for three days.
The two suspects were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Damilola Sekoni at the weekend on a five-count charge bordering on felony, accessory after the fact, and perversion of justice.
The charge read “On the 10th day of December 2023 at about 11:30 am at Life Sustainer Guest House, Ijapo Estate, Akure, in the Akure Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit perversion of justice and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 126 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. Vol.1 Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.”
Atinuke was alleged to have “become an accessory after the fact concerning the death of one Oladoyinbo Sunday Adebayo “Alias Say Bayo and thereby committed an offence contrary and punishable under section of the Criminal Code Cap.37 Vol.1 Law of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.
The two accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
The Police Prosecutor, Inspector Wada Simeon, prayed the court to withdraw an earlier application on notice to remand both defendants to the correctional centre at Olokuta, Akure.
Counsel to the first defendant, Mr A.O Afolabi, after the withdrawal of the applications, presented an application for bail of his client, promising to always produce the accused in court on every adjourned date.
The counsel to the second suspect, Mr Stephen Ademuagun, also applied for bail for his client, with a promise that his client would not jump bail if granted.
The prosecutor did not object to the applications for bail for the suspects, while the Counsel to the suspects pleaded with the court to order the prosecutor to keep both defendants in police custody pending the ruling on the applications.
But the Chief Magistrate ordered them to be remanded in a correctional facility pending the determination of the bail applications and adjourned the ruling on both applications to January 29, 2024.