47 Yoruba Nation agitators released from detention

The 47 agitators were released on Tuesday having met their bail conditions.

The police in Lagos have released 47 out of the 48 Yoruba Nation agitators that were arrested during the July 3 rally in Lagos from custody.

 

The 47 agitators were released on Tuesday having met their bail conditions, Maxwell Adeleye, the spokesperson for Ilana Omo Oodua, a Yoruba self-determination group, said in a statement Tuesday.

 

“This is to inform the general public that 47 out of the 48 protesters arrested by the Nigerian Police during the Yoruba Nation Rally held July 3rd, 2021 have been released from detention after meeting their bail conditions,” he said in the statement.

 

Among those granted bail are Olasunkanmi Tanimola; Kabiru Lawanson; Chinemerem Emmanuel; RasakiMusibau; Lukman Olalade; Olasanmi Oladipupo; Bashiru Shittu; Taofeek Abdusalam; Olamilekan Abata; Abdullahi Sikiru; Tosin Adeleye; and Babatunde Lawal.

 

One of the agitators, Tajudeen Bakare, however, is still in detention following a remand order by the magistrate given a murder charge against him by the police.

 

The police, on July 19, charged the 48 agitators to court on a five-count charge bothering on murder, unlawful assembly, unlawful society, and conduct likely to cause a breach of public peace.

They were charged before the magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos.

Mr Bakare was charged for the murder of Jumoke Oyeleke, a 25-year-old trader who was hit by a stray bullet when the police were dispersing the agitators during the rally.

The police said Mr Bakare was in possession of a Beretta pistol and two live ammunition and “unlawfully killed” the trader.

They were charged before the magistrate court in Yaba, Lagos.

 

Mr Bakare was charged for the murder of Jumoke Oyeleke, a 25-year-old trader who was hit by a stray bullet when the police were dispersing the agitators during the rally.

 

The police said Mr Bakare was in possession of a Beretta pistol and two live ammunition and “unlawfully killed” the trader.

During their arraignment, the counsels to the agitators, Olasupo Ojo and Oladapo Kayode, filed a motion for their bail.

 

While the magistrate granted the bail application of 47 agitators, Mr Bakare was denied bail given the gravity of the charges levelled against him.

 

They were granted bail in the sum of N300,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

“One of the sureties must be a family member and the other a community leader or clergy with proof of tax payment,” the magistrate ruled.