Seven remanded over Kwara college student’s death
Justice Ibrahim Yusuf of the Kwara State High Court has ordered that the seven suspects linked to the murder of Mojisola Awesu, a student of the Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, be remanded in a correctional facility.
The court order followed the absence of the counsel for the three hotel workers; Adeoye Adeola, Lawal Aminat and Peter Bulus, who were the 5th, 6th and 7th defendants in the case.
Seven persons were earlier arraigned before the court charged with the alleged murder of Awesu, a final year student of Kwara State College of Health Technology, Offa, in Offa Local Government Area.
Those charged included Happiness Adebayo and Timileyin Kolawole, who were the prime suspect,s as well as Adebayo Adeniyi and Bukola Adeniyi, who were the two parents of Happines,s while Adeoye Adeola, Lawal Aminat and Peter Bulus who were the three workers of the hotel where the late Awesu was murdered.
The seven accused persons were slammed with six counts bordering on alleged conspiracy, murder, disappearance and destruction of evidence and dumping of corpse at a dump site.
They were accused of conspiring and causing the death of Awesu on August 9, 2024.
The offences, according to the prosecution, were contrary to and punishable under Sections 97,221,167 of the Penal Code, CAP. P4, Laws of Kwara State, 2006 and Section 9 of the Kwara State Prohibition of Dealing in Human Parts Law 2018.
When the case first came up at the court on February 3, the Kwara State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Ayoola Akande, who led five other lawyers, appeared for the prosecution while Fatai Ahmed appeared for the parents with A.I. Orisankoko appearing for the hotel workers.
The court however ordered the remand of the two prime suspects, Adebayo Joshua Happiness and Timileyin Kolawole, to a correctional facility as they had no legal representation.
However, when the case came up again on Monday, Mr Lawal Chinwo announced his appearance for Happiness while H. R. Sulu-Gambari also appeared for Timileyin, the two prime suspects, while the Kwara State Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr Ayoola Akande, appeared for the prosecution and Fatai Ahmed appeared for the parents of Happiness, the 2nd and 3rd defendants in the case.
But the counsel for the hotel workers: (5th 6th and 7th defendants) was absent in court when the case came up which did not go well with the judge who ordered that all the seven defendants be remanded in a correctional facility in the state till the next adjourned date for the case.
Justice Yusuf said, “When this case came up on February 3 for hearing, some of the defendants did not come to court with a counsel to defend them, and I gave you the grace. Today, some of you also came to court without bringing your counsel to represent you. I’m also giving you another grace and by the next adjourned date, I will no longer allow it. This is a criminal case which involved the murder of a human being. I will no longer take it. You are trying to delay the case. All defendants should come to court with their counsel, who will defend them in the cas,e because we will no longer tolerate this kind of delay in this type of criminal matter.
“I hereby order that all the defendants should be remanded in the federal correctional facility in Ilorin till the next date of adjournment. All defendants should bring their counsel to the court on the next date of adjournment. The case is adjourned to March 4, 2025, for hearing”, the judge said.
