AC Lawyer Docked Over Bomb Explosion In Osun

Tunde Oyekola, Osogbo - 17.05.2008

AN Osogbo Chief Magistrate Court has ordered that Mr. Gbenga Akano one of the counsels to the Action Congress (AC) gubernatorial candidate in the April 2007 Election, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola, be remanded in prison custody till next Thursday.

Akano who was arraigned yesterday before the court with two members of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Timothy Owoeye who is the minority leader and Hon. Folarin Fafowora representing Ilesa West constituency of Osun State, were alleged of complicity in the June 14, 2007 bomb explosion that rocked the state secretariat, Abere, in Osogbo.

The bomb explosion which shattered a Peugeot 505 Salon car killed one person and injured another while the third person escaped unhurt. The prosecution alleged that Akano and others at large and others already arraigned conspired to commit felony and unlawful possession of some explosive substances.

However, the court ordered that the names of the two legislators be expunged from the charge sheet because they were not present in court.

Akano, however, pleaded not guilty to the two count charge. Counsel to the accused person, Mr. Wale Afolabi, who led two others, Kabir Odedeji and Adewuyi Adewale, urged the court to grant bail to Mr. Akano.

The counsel who described Mr. Akano as a reputable legal practitioner of fifteen years standing assured the court that he would not jump bail if the court allow him to go on bail. But the police prosecutor, Mr. Ayuba Adekunle (ASP) opposed bail of the accused person on the ground that the charges preferred against him were capital offence.

The trial magistrate, Mr. Olapoju Akintayo ordered that Akano be remanded in custody till May 22, 2008 when he would rule on his application for bail.

It would be recalled that Mr. Sunday Olaoye, a brother to Mrs. Grace Olaoye Tomori, the AC deputy gubernatorial candidate had been docked for a similar offence.