According to Punch: The Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye, has ordered that the case files of Omolola Shittu and Rahael Oge, who are accused of stealing a Honda Accord and household items, be submitted to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for review and legal advice.
The defendants had been arraigned before an Igbosere Magistrate’s Court on three counts of stealing the property allegedly owned by one Prince Hilary Onachukwu, Shittu’s ex-lover. PUNCH Metro had on Monday, September 8, reported Shittu’s pleas for justice on what she described as “false” allegation which led to her torture in the Zone 2 Command and in the Kirikiri Prison.
.
It was also reported that Shittu’s counsel, Iyabode Shonubi, had petitioned the state’s AG, the Igbosere Chief Magistrate, among others on the plight of her client. Represented by Mr. H.F Owokoniran, the Attorney General, Ipaye, asked the court to suspend the case and send the defendants’ files for review/legal advice by the DPP.
“We received a petition from the counsel. On that note, the case files of the defendants should be sent within a short time to the office of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for review/legal advice,” he said.
The magistrate, Mrs. Adeola Adedayo, granted the request.
After liaising with an Investigating Police Officer who was holding brief for the IPO in charge of the matter, she said the files should be made available within three days. Since we are prosecuting within the fiat of the AG, the IPO should ensure the files are available in three days’ time,” she said. She, however, berated Shittu’s photographs and the letters sent to her by the counsel, claiming that such action was an attempt to buy justice.
She also condemned the publication of the matter in the media and urged the office of the Attorney General to address it on the ground of contempt of court.
The photographs portrayed how Shittu was humiliated. It is inappropriate. Why will you send letters and photographs to me when the matter is already before me? I also learnt that the matter was published in newspapers and on a TV station. Such attempts would make me have a biased mind. I think the office of the Attorney General should do something on these,” she said. The counsel apologised for the actions, adding that they were taken with the intention of securing justice for the first defendant. The matter was adjourned till October 6, 2014.
