AKESAN MURDER: PRINCIPAL SUSPECT STILL AT LARGE COURT TOLD

An Ikeja High Court presided over by Justice O.A. Akinlade heard last Friday that the principal suspect in the Akesan murder case, Chief Yomi Philip Adejumo, an estate developer is still at large while the police is about to declare him wanted.

This fact was disclosed to the court by the Investigating Police Officer, Superintendent Salisu Mohammed, when the case was called for hearing and Chief Adejumo and one other accused person and their counsel were absent in court.

Mr. Mohammed told the court that he was handicapped in getting Chief Adejumo arrested because some top police officers had been using their influence and positions to scuttle the case by withdrawing the case file and ordering for re-investigation of the case.

He said a panel was set up by the former Inspector General of Police, Ogbonaya Onovo, to get the case re-investigated but when the new inspector general took over office, he saw no need to re-investigate a case that was already before the court and disbanded the panel. Mr. Mohammed told the court that now that he had free hand to pursue the accused persons and get them arrested, he would do all within his power to apprehend Chief Adejumo and others still at large before the next date of adjournment.

Justice Akinlade could not hide her anger that the police could not arrest Chief Adejumo and others still at large almost a year after the case had been charged to court. Asked Justice Akinlade: 'Is Chief Adejumo and others still at large above the law of the land. Does it mean that the police are incapable of getting them arrested to face the criminal charge against them?'

She said it is unfair that other accused persons are in detention because of this case and advised the state prosecuting counsel to withdraw the case against Chief Yomi Philip Adejumo and others at large, so that the trial of other accused persons in the case could go on. The case was later adjourned till February 28, to hear a report from the police on Yomi Philip Adejumo.