Ekiti OPD secures release of wrongly invited persons
The Office of the Public Defender (OPD) in Ekiti State has secured the
release of seventeen (17) persons wrongfully invited based on false
allegations by the State Police Command in Ado-Ekiti at the behest of
a former Police Officer.
The Executive Secretary, Office of the Public Defender, Barr. Bola
Wale Awe who disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti, however commended the State
command of the Police for what she described as the appreciable level
of cooperation between the Police and her office.
Barr. Wale Awe explained that Mr. Matthew Odebunmi and the persons
that he stood for as surety in a matter that had been concluded since
2017 were invited for alleged armed robbery and related offences
adding that investigation indicated that allegations against them were
trumped up.
According to her, it would amount to what is called Double Jeopardy in
Law for them to be incarcerated again for a case that had been
concluded since 2017, stressing that the Constitution of Nigeria and
the Criminal Law say that no person who has been tried and convicted
or acquitted of a criminal offence should be made to undergo a second
trial based on the same offence.
She assured that her office would ensure that the Police conduct a
thorough investigation on the matter.
Wale Awe called on residents in the State, particularly the indigents,
who have legal issues but cannot afford to engage lawyers to take
advantage of the services of OPD to seek justice and legal adviser
freely.
Earlier, the head of the Iwoye Compound, Ifon Community, Omu Ekiti in
Oye Local Government Area of the State, Chief Oladele Afolabi who had
cried out on the ordeal of his kinsmen and sought the assistance of
OPD, expressed gratitude for the prompt response to the distress call.
Chief Afolabi described the victims as peace loving people who could
not have been involved in such criminal acts
