MURDER CASE: Former NURTW Chairman, Auxiliary, Four Others Bag Six Year Jail Term

An Oyo State High Court, Monday sentenced a former Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as Auxiliary, to six years imprisonment.

Lamidi and four others had been standing trial on a three count charge of conspiracy, murder and attempted murder.

The trial judge, Justice Eni Esan, after listening to submissions of both the prosecuting and defence counsels, said the prosecution failed to convince the court beyond reasonable doubt that the defendants were guilty of murder and attempted murder.

Justice Esan noted that despite the fact that the defendants were not guilty of murder and attempted murder, the facts before the court were sufficient to convict them on the charge of conspiracy.

Counsel to the first defendant, Olalekan Ojo, prayed to the court to temper justice with mercy, noting that the accused was the bread winner of his family.

Ojo also told the court to be lenient in its judgment owing to the fact that the accused had spent over two years in prison custody during the process of the trial.

Justice Esan however ruled that the defendants be sentenced to six years imprisonment, with the two years already spent in custody deducted.

Speaking with newsmen, after the judgment, Ojo said his client would appeal the judgment.

It would be recalled that Lamidi, Saheed Kareem, Taiwo Tijani, Abu Kareem and Kazeem Kayode were accused of causing the death of Akintunde Oladipupo by shooting him and also attempted to kill Temitayo Agbaje on March 2, 2014.

The third defendant, Taiwo Tijani, reportedly died in prison custody