A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo has granted bail to a commissioner II at the Osun State Local Government Service Commission, Mr Olakunle Muhammed; and a businessman, Rasheed Bakare, who are standing trial in connection with alleged advanced fee fraud involving the Majority Leader of the State House of Assembly, Mr Timothy Owoeye.
The police had arraigned Muhammed and Bakare on October 10 on the allegation of defrauding the lawmaker which led to the release of the nude video.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Olusegun Ayilara, had ordered that the two accused be remanded in police custody.
The counsel for the accused, Mr Ajibade Shitu, during court proceedings on Tuesday, prayed the court to grant bail to his clients.
He said the offence allegedly committed by his clients was a bailable one.
He said, “Every person is entitled to personal liberty. The offence allegedly committed by my clients is bailable and I want to urge the court to do the needful.
“My clients are reputable citizens of this state and they won’t jump bail.
They have property and are well known in the state. They cannot run away.”
But the prosecutor, the State Chief Principal Counsel, Mr Moses Faremi, raised an objection to the bail application.
Faremi said, “The defence counsel has refused to state the reasons why the accused should be granted bail.
“He did not prove it to the court whether the accused have ailments and he did not provide evidence to support the fact.”
The magistrate, however, admitted the accused to bail in the sum of N1m each with two sureties each in like sum.
He said, “One of the sureties must be working in the Federal Civil Service Commission and the other must be a reputable citizen who has landed property in the state.”
He adjourned the case till November 9 for mention.
Recall that the police had arraigned eight persons for kidnapping, armed robbery and other offences in connection with the lawmaker’s case and they were remanded in prison
