The Oosa Olaniyi family of Iwo has urged the Osun State Judicial Service Commission to probe Magistrate A. I. Oyebadejo of the Chief Magistrate Court 1, Iwo, for releasing convicts who are serving jail terms on bail, and apply appropriate sanctions where necessary.
Early June this year, the media had reported that a former Chairman of Iwo West local Council Development Area, Tajudeen Babatunde, an octogenarian, Kasumu Arohunfesu, Sunday Ajoko, Kohonu Deboye, Adeoye Alabi and Jonas John, had been sentenced to four years imprisonment by an Osun Magistrate Court presided over by Magistrate Abimbola Famuyide, for conspiring to destroy farmlands valued at N10 million.
But in a petition written by their counsel, Dele Abass, obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday and titled: Re: conviction of the defendants in charge No: MIW/68C/2021 between the state V Tajudeen Babatunde & 5 others, setting free of the convicts from the prison without due process of law, the petitioner alleged that the convicts, who are supposed to be still serving their jail term, have been released on bail by Chief Magistrate I. A. Oyebadejo.
Noting that Arohunfesu was given an option of fine during the conviction, the petitioner alleged that counsel to the convicts, Chief Olayide Yekeen, approached another court with summons for bail, affidavit in support, counsel written address in support of summons for bail, medical reports from two different hospitals (Osun State Hospitals Management Board, State Hospital, Osogbo and Apex Medical & diagnostics Centre Ayetoro, Osogbo) and Notice of Appeal for consideration to secure the release of the 5 convicts pending appeal.
“Worthy of note sirs is that the charge No MIW/76C/2021, upon which the counsel for the convicts, Chief Olayide Yekeen , applied for bail (summons for bail) pending appeal on 06/08/2024 at the chief magistrate court 1, Iwo, before his worship, A. I. Oyebadejo (Mrs), does not exist whereas the charge number upon which the convicts were convicted on 5/6/2024 is MIW/68C/2024 by the chief magistrate Famuyide A. O. Mrs (Chief Magistrate 1),” the petition stated.
The petitioner posited that the charge number on the judgment over which appeal was sought is MIW/68C/2021 and not MIW/76C/2021, saying “obviously, there was a clear suspicion of a high level of corruption between the State Ministry of Justice led by Hon. Attorney General of the State, the Convicts and their Counsel and Chief magistrate I. A. Oyebadejo who delivered the so-called judgment on 10/7/2024,” the petitioner further alleged.
The petitioner urged the commission to “prevail upon his Worship, Magistrate A. I. Oyebadejo (Mrs) to have his order of 10/7/2021 vacated without further delay and return all the five convicts fraudulently released by him, to the correctional centre Ilesha Osun State, where they were serving their jail terms in the best interest of justice.”
When contacted on telephone to confirm the receipt of the petition, the secretary of the Judicial Service Commission, Mrs Abosede Fagbola, said she needed to talk with the petitioner before she could confirm the receipt of the petition.
