Attorney General debunks attempt to free murder suspects in Ogun land dispute 

CITIZENS COMPASS– Ogun State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), on Monday debunked an attempt to set free some arrested murder suspects in connection with a land dispute in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government area of the State.

He cleared the air following some media reports of alleged misconduct and complicity of a land dispute.between two local land agents in the State.

Earlier, some media reports said the intervention of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2 , Adegoke Fayoade, has thwarted an alleged attempt by Ogungbade to discontinue investigations into murder allegations against one Elijah and four other persons.

The reports said the Attorney General had earlier in January 2025, in a Nolle Prosequi, directed the Ogun State High Court in Ilaro to discontinue another murder case and other criminal proceedings involving Elijah alongside others.

Also, the reports claimed that the suspects were some days ago arrested in connection with the alleged killing of one Saheed Shoboyejo in the Osuke area of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area in Ogun State, where other people were also reported injured.

According to the report, AIG Fayoade confirmed that the suspects had been transferred to the Nigeria Police Force headquarters in Abuja, on the orders of the IGP.

The reports said Elijah and four others were still under investigation when the Attorney General was asked to take over the case from the police.

It was gathered that a human rights lawyer, Olayinka Sanni, has called on the Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to “urgently set up a commission of enquiry to investigate all the top officials of the Ogun State Ministry of Justice who are involved in sabotaging justice in murder and other criminal cases in the state.”

However, in an update

personally signed by Ogungbade, he narrated his own side of the story this, “The attention of the Ogun State Government has been drawn to a lopsided and malicious report accusing its Attorney-General of trying to free murder suspects.

“That report is entirely false and was clearly made in the media to preempt the Attorney-General’s review of misconduct and complicity in an ongoing criminal enterprise by officers and men of Nigerian Police Force Zone 2, Lagos State. The report relates to a dispute over land management by two local land agents in Ogun State. One side has continually used the Police and law enforcement to persecute the other, lodging false reports and producing coached witnesses whose testimonies fall apart. Indeed, some of these witnesses testify that they saw a perpetrator but cannot identify this perpetrator in person.

“With these errors, it became clear that the Ministry of Justice was being unwittingly used to perpetuate injustice and persecute a citizen. Accordingly, the Office of the Attorney-General discontinued the false charges in court.

“Not satisfied with this, these same persons have now conjured a new allegation of murder against the same side. Again, this allegation was pierced by the unassailable investigation of the Ogun State Police Command and the testimony of credible unimpeachable witnesses. When that investigation did not favour them, this set of complainants then instigated the AIG Zone 2 to hijack the case. There was absolutely no basis for this transfer to Lagos, and contrary to the false publication in the media, the suspect was not transferred to Abuja.

“On the contrary, Zone 2 Police, under the direction of AIG Fayoade tried to obtain a remand order at the Lagos State Magistrate’s Court, Tinubu Square, Lagos State. The application failed for several reasons, including the Magistrate’s query as to why they sought to remand a suspect in Lagos State for crimes allegedly committed in Ogun State. The Magistrate also saw no basis for a remand.

“Not satisfied, AIG Fayoade’s men snuck into Abeokuta on Wednesday 19 March 2025 and sought detention warrant against the suspect. The Magistrate saw the flimsiness of the case file as well as the porousness of the application for a detention warrant. As such, the warrant of detention was refused and AIG Fayoade’s men were ordered to arraign the suspect in 24 hours – they disobeyed this order.

“Instead, on Thursday 20 March 2025, they filed yet another application for a detention warrant in Ota, Ogun State. The Magistrate there also refused the order and directed them to arraign the suspect the following day – again, they disobeyed.

“As such, AIG Fayoade’s men have held that suspect for over a week in clear and brazen breach of their constitutional powers. Having failed to persuade the courts to assist them to persecute their opponent, they have resorted to media blackmail, enlisting the help of Precious Igbonwelundu an unprofessional journalist who never sought comments from the Ministry of Justice before going to press and whose last 5 articles have all been complimentary of the Police.

“This is just the latest onslaught by AIG Fayoade on the administration of justice in Ogun State. AIG Fayoade and his men have made themselves willing tools in the hands of lawbreakers, rights breachers, and land grabbers who have failed to influence the upstanding men of the Ogun State Police Command. One must wonder why the AIG is so desperate to detain a suspect when three courts have instead ordered him to arraign that suspect and our courts are very capable of handling such matters. One must wonder why the AIG who has no time to present a suspect in court has all the time to talk to the media. One further wonders how the Police whose funding challenges are well known are suddenly well mobilised to appear in three cities within one week all in a bid to incarcerate a suspect without arraignment.

“The Ministry of Justice will not be intimidated by these tactics. The Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2017 empowers the Attorney-General to demand updates on investigations at any stage and to demand case files. This is in addition of the Attorney-General to protect the public interest and prevent abuse of the court system by taking over or discontinuing any malicious criminal proceedings, no matter how exaggerated the allegations. We will continue to utilise these powers fearlessly, notwithstanding the conceit of any compromised police personnel outside the State. We will also explore all legal remedies against such persons.”