Ondo: Defendant’s lawyers disappear from trial of alleged killer of ex-deputy governor”s daughter

The trial of the boyfriend and alleged killer of the daughter of former Ondo state deputy governor, Shakiru Adeyemi, was on Monday stalled due to lack of legal representation on the part of the accused. The accused brought before Justice Samuel Bola of the Ondo state High court is facing a case of murder and […]

The trial of the boyfriend and alleged killer of the daughter of former Ondo state deputy governor, Shakiru Adeyemi, was on Monday stalled due to lack of legal representation on the part of the accused.

The accused brought before Justice Samuel Bola of the Ondo state High court is facing a case of murder and conspiracy for allegedly killing his girlfriend, Khadijat Oluboyo last month and buried her corpse inside his room at Aratusi,  Oke-Aro area of Akure for about six days before dectectives from the state police command arrested him.

Justice Bola had to adjourn the hearing till October 2, 2018 and instructed prison officials to liaise with the defendant’s family towards providing a lawyer in subsequent trials.

Sources said no lawyers in the state is interested in the case and will not want to be identified with it.

Some of the lawyers who spoke under anonymity said they are trying to avoid backlash from the public due to the magnitude of the crime which has generated sympathy across the state.

The prosecution team led by the state’s Attorney General, Adekola Olawoye, stated that they had expected that the case would commenced after the necessary court papers had been served, but the case could not be heard as a result of non-availability of the defendant’s lawyers.

The Attorney General expressed the readiness of the government to ensure proper prosecution of the case.

Olawoye said the state government must ensure that justice was done to the suspected killer of the former deputy Governor’s daughter.

The suspect, Adeyemi, who was brought to the court by Nigerian Prisons officials from Olokuta Prison, Akure told the court that he had no lawyer and expressed doubt if his parents were aware of his trial.

Consequently, the trial judge, Justice Samuel Bola directed the prisons welfare officer to contact the family of the suspect to engage a lawyer for Adeyemi’s trial.

"By law, in a capital offence of this nature, a defendant must be represented by a counsel. That is his constitutional right to fair hearing.

"After serving all the processes on him personally, we discovered that he hasn’t got a legal representation. It is a must before the next adjournment date; he must look for a lawyer of his choice as provided in law.

"When we come back next time if he doesn’t after two adjournments then the court is enjoined to pick a lawyer for him.

"We want to know what led to the death of the deceased, how it came about and we want the defendant to explain to the whole world the part if any he took in the death of the deceased," Justice Bola said.

The decomposed body of the 25 year-old student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Miss. Oluboyo was found in the room of the 27 years old, Adeyemi on July 2.