Keeping them under police custody would help unravel other hidden facts on unrests that led to the loss of lives and destruction of property worth millions of Naira, says Chief Magistrate
A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos’ Yaba axis has ordered that Adekunle Lawal, also known as Kunle Poly, and two other members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), be held in Nigerian Police custody for another month pending the completion of ongoing investigations into the Idumota clashes to which they were linked.
Idowu Johnson and Agboola Akeem, also known as Okoro, were detained alongside Kunle Poly at the Nigerian Police Zone 2 headquarters in Onikan, Lagos.
While detained, they would be expected to explain their roles in the clashes that terrorized residents of the axis and disrupted commercial activities in the state.
Ruling on the application brought before the court on Thursday by the Force, Chief Magistrate Linda Balogun, said that the clashes resulted in a breach of peace across the country’s commercial capital.
Balogun, after listening to submissions of the counsel to the law enforcement agency, Morufu Animashaun, said that keeping the NURTW members under the police custody would help unravel other hidden facts on unrests that led to the loss of lives and destruction of property worth millions of Naira.
According to her, the three defendants are to be remanded in the facility of the Nigeria Police Zonal Monitoring Unit, Zone 2 Headquarters, Onikan-Lagos, for the next 30 days, to enable the police to conclude investigations.
Earlier, Animashaun, while presenting the case before the Magistrate, told the court that the application was pursuant to sections 264(1), (2), (3), (4), and (6) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State, 2021 (as amended).
The Counsel added that the request was also in line with sections 4 and 10 of the Police Act, 2020, and sections 6(c), 35(1)(C)(5), and (7)(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 199 (as amended).
He told the court that the application sought, was to enable the police to conclude investigations of a case of threat to life and property, violence, cultism, mayhem, and conducts likely to cause a breach of peace, unlawful possession of firearms, conspiracy, and murder against the three men.
In an interview with The Guild, the spokesperson for the zone, Hauwa Laraba, explained that the time frame would allow the Force to conclude its findings and possibly prosecute anyone that could still be linked to the clashes.
