By Itohan Abara-Laserian
An Ikeja High Court on Monday released three men, Peter Edialu, Godspower Friday and Bayo Segun, after being in custody for six years without trial.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the men were facing charges bordering on sexual assault.
They were first arrested and charged in 2018, 2019 and 2019 respectively.
Justice Oyindamola Ogala told the court that after careful considerations of the motion papers before court, the court believed that it is in the interest of justice.
She, therefore, gave her separate judgements in the cases regarding the applicant defendants.
Ogala said: “The applicants should be released and discharged forthwith if there are no pending matters in other courts.
”
Mr Ben Abraham, the Founder of Zarephath Aid, an Non-Governmental Organisation, the counsel to the applicants, while moving for the terms of motion dated Sept.
15 for the release of the applicant as stated in paragraph A, B and C in the motion papers.
Abraham, however, withdrew paragraph 4(b) and (e) requesting the Attorney General of Lagos State and the Commissioner of Police to settle the applicant with N5 million.
“The High Court here in Lagos granted the enforcement of the fundamental rights of these three applicants which we brought before the courts.
“They have been in detention for about six years.
The oldest of them has been in Kirikiri correctional medium custodial center since 2018.
“For sexual offenses, they were awaiting the Department of Public Prosecutions advice since then, but nothing since then.
“When we got to the custodial centre and saw their plight, they were not even before any courts or having the opportunity to defend themselves.
So we picked up their cases earlier this year.
“Today, the court upheld our submissions and application and directed that they be immediately and unconditionally released from custody after about six years without trial,” he said.
Abraham added that these cases were just a few of the very sad and unfortunate set of circumstances facing the judicial system.
The applicants had sued the Attorney-General of Lagos State, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, and the correctional services.
The state prosecution, representing the first respondent in the matter did not object to the motion papers.
www.
nannews.
ng
Edited by Chinyere Joel-Nwokeoma
Read More On The Topic On TDPel Media
Related posts:
Afrobeat Musician Seun Kuti Released from Police Custody, Expresses Gratitude for Support …By Larry John for TDPel Media. Release from Police Custody Afrobeat musician, Seun Kuti, has expressed his gratitude to all those who stood by him...
Legal Developments: Senegalese Opposition Party Members Released from Custody …By Roland Peterson for TDPel Media. Release of Senegalese Opposition Party Members Facing Court Cases Two senior members of Senegal’s main opposition party, Pastef, who...
Former EFCC Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa Released from DSS Custody The release of former EFCC Chairman Abdulrasheed Bawa from the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS) marks a significant development in a case...
Thomas More Society has lodged a last-ditch effort to have a political prisoner released from pre-trial confinement. They announced the news on X (previously Twitter), writing, “Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly has DENIED our emergency motion to release Lauren Handy from pre-sentencing detention.” The...
Two Sydney men sentenced to 28 years’ and 23 years’ jail for importing cocaine from South Africa Two members of a criminal syndicate arrested in 2019 for importing 228 kilograms of cocaine into Sydney have been sentenced to 28 and 23 years’...
Vatican finance trial: Financial authority joins trial as civil party Vatican finance trial: Financial authority joins trial as civil party. A hearing in the Vatican finance trial is held on Nov. 17, 2021. / Vatican...
Netflix’s ‘The Devil on Trial’: A Shocking True Story of Demonic Possession in a Murder Trial The Shocking Murder Trial of Arne Johnson In the brand new Netflix documentary, “The Devil on Trial,” viewers are taken into the unsettling world of...
Landmark Case: Four Men Found Guilty in Unprecedented Murder Trial with Victim’s Voice Notes Historic Murder Verdict In a groundbreaking legal case, four men were found guilty of the brutal murder of council worker Ashley Dale. The case is...
Igbo men are the sexiest of all Nigerian men – Doyin Okupe’s gay son, Bolu, declares ”Igbo men are the sexiest of all Nigerian Igbo men are the sexiest men in Nigeria, according to Bolu, the openly gay son of politician...
“When Men can Share the Load with Other Men, Why not with their Wives” Asks Genelia Over the last 7 years, Ariel India has continuously sparked conversations around the unequal division of domestic chores within households and urging more and more...
