Osun Bomb Blast: Counsel Explodes Over Bribery Allegation

Tunde Oyekola, Osogbo - 29.03.2008

Defence counsel to bomb blast suspect, Richard Abayomi Adesanmi, who is presently facing trial, Mr. Wilson Atirene, on Friday exploded in the open court and rained curses on those who alleged that he took money before compelling the suspect to confess in the open court.

Atirene, while speaking at an Osogbo Magistrate Court when the case came up for hearing, invoked God’s wrath on those who made the spurious allegation that he had collected money from government to influence the confession of the suspect on the explosion that occurred at the state Ministry of Water Resources in June 2007.

The explosion, which occurred inside a Peugeot 505 car, killed one person, injured one, while one person escaped and is now at large.

The suspect, Richard Abayomi, had been charged to court with allegedly bringing explosive material to Osun State; but when the case was to be substituted with murder last week, the accused person made a U-turn through a sworn affidavit, in which he indicted the Action Congress (AC) gubernational candidate in the 2007 election, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola, and some AC leaders for allegedly masterminding the bomb explosion, which he said was aimed at killing the state governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

When the case came up in court yesterday, Senior State Counsel, Mr. Biodun Badiona, who is standing for the prosecution, sought an adjournment of the case to enable the police investigate the allegation made by the suspect in his sworn affidavit.

However, Mr. Atirene, who was standing in for the accused person, urged the court to decide the fate of Abayomi, whom he said was suffering from poor health.

Atirene said that some politicians had been blackmailing him on the change of plea and sworn affidavit of Abayomi that he had collected money from government before changing the plea, adding that the accused made the confession when the Attorney-General wanted to substitute the charge of bringing in the explosive to Osun State with murder.

In his ruling, the Magistrate, Mr. Ebenezer Akintayo, ordered that the accused person should be kept in protective custody pending the conclusion of police investigation.

The case was adjourned till April 18, 2008 for further hearing.