court adjourn ibadan murder case till April 18

Justice Muktar Abimbola has adjourned the case of an Ibadan lawyer, Yewande Oyediran, who allegedly stabbed her husband, Lowo, to death in Akobo, Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The court will on April 18 take a decision on the application for a private counsel to prosecute the suspect.

Lowo, who hailed from Gbongan in Osun State and based in France, was reportedly stabbed in the neck by his wife on February 2. His remains were buried in Gbongan on February 26.

At the proceedings, counsel to the complainant, Lowo’s family, Yomi Aliu, told the court that the family had applied to the DPP for a fiat to employ a private legal practitioner to prosecute the suspect.

Justice Abimbola, who is the Chief Judge, asked the counsel to the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ministry of Justice, Tajudeen Abdul-Ganiyu, to tell the court the current status of the application.

Abdul-Ganiyu, who acknowledged the receipt of the application, explained that applications have been made to the solicitor-general and permanent secretary of the Ministry of Justice, as well as Governor Abiola Ajimobi.

He added that the process should be completed before April 18.

Abdul-Ganiyu also told the court that he was served with a notice of preliminary objection filed by the suspect’s counsel, Prince Bioye Ashanike, on the competence of the charge against his client.

Justice Abimbola, however, directed Abdul-Ganiyu to file his written address and Ashanike to file his response within seven days.

After the proceedings, Aliu said Lowo’s family applied for the fiat because “it is not proper, not that it is not legal, for the DPP to prosecute Yewande, who is a principal state counsel with the DPP.

“I trust the DPP counsel as well as the solicitor general. But it is not about me. It is about the public,” he said.