A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos presided over by Justice Daniel Osiagor today ordered the Inspector General of police (IGP) to charge two detainees Oyegoke Oyedele and Ahmed Olaitan who have being in thier custody for months to court or show course why the two detainees should not be released by the court.
Others affected by Justice Oaiagor’s order are; the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, CSP Adigun Abdulfatai Abolarin Officer in Charge , Strike Team and the Investigating Police Officer, Seun Adegoke.
The applicants, Oyegoke Oyedele and Ahmed Olaitan had through thier lawyer, Mr Bayo Onifade approached the court with a fundament rights enforcement application asking for a court order directing the police to release them from thier continuous detention or in the alternative charge them to court .
Onifade had in the fundamental Right Enforcement application filed on behalf of the two detainees asked the court for an order releasing them in the interim from custody pending the determination of the substantive application and for such further order or orders as the court may deem fit to make in the circumstances.
In the affidavit filed in support of the applications, the applicants averred that they voluntarily reported at the Office of the 3rd Respondent, Adigun Abdulfatai Abolarin on September 1, 2022 in company of one Mr Dolapo Oni and were subsequently detained by the 3rd Respondent on the instructions of the IGP and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (1st and 2nd Respondents) and has not been released ever since , nor charged to court till date,
According to the applicants, they reported to the 3rd Respondent’s office sequel to the 3rd Respondent’s invitation requesting Mr Dolapo Oni to produce them in view of a pending investigation against some people alleged to have committed murder .
It was also stated in the affidavit filed in support of the exparte applications, that the 3rd Respondent claimed that thier detention was on the order of the IGP and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police (1st and 2nd Respondents, ) so that they could help in locating or to produce some young men namely Washinshi, Shame, Saviour and Snakiri who were declared wanted in respect of their alleged involvement in the murder of one Sulaiman Onaolapo a.k.a. Arikuyeri.
The applicants said they have since been detained simply on the excuse to help the Respondents locate these young men alleged to be involved in the killing.
It was also averred that they are under immense pressure to find track and arrest these young men.
They added that they have no criminal record whatsoever and are presently very ill and have not been receiving adequate medical attention from the police who detain them in their custody.
Ahmed Olaitan in his own affidavit in support of his application stated that he is a Real Estate Broker working with Mr Dolapo Oni who produced him before the police, while all effort to secure his bail ever since has failed.
Counsel to the the applicants, Mr Bayo Onifade in his earlier submission before the court, told Justice Daniel Osiagor that in support of the fundamental Right Enforcement applications , the plaintiffs attached a Digital Video Disc ( DVD) recording of the interview granted to the press by the brother of the deceased Sulaiman Onaolapo a k.a Arikuyeri and downloaded same from the internet using HP630 Laptop and was recorded using a Canon Digital Video Recording Machine DSLR7D Serial Number 1270806608.
Onifade added that the the wives of the detainees sworn to an affidavit to the effect