Olaitan: Ugolor Has No Case To Answer —DPP

The office of the Edo State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), has declared that Rev. David Ugolor, prime suspect in the murder of Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde, the late Principal/Private Secretary to Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State has no case to answer.

Rev. Ugolor was arrested and detained by the police on July 27, 2012, after being allegedly confessed as sponsor of the murder of Olaitan by one of the suspects arrested by the police in Benin.

In the wake of the arrest and detention of Ugolor who was later remanded in prisons custody, the Department of State Security Services (DSSS) in Abuja also paraded six other suspects alleged to have murdered Olaitan.

Rev. Ugolor while addressing the press this morning in the company of his lawyers, Olayiwola Afolabi and Osaro Osemwegie, alleged that “the startling revelation is that two of the suspects in the case, Danjuma Musa and Muritala Usman had been in the custody of the Ei State police Command since April 24, 2012,long before our Comrade Olaitan Oyerinde was murdered on the 4th of May, 2012,” adding “for for us, the case is ended with me, but the battle to set the innocent free who are still held captive and end the culture of impunity among law-enforcement officers has just begun.”

The legal advise issued by the Edo State Ministry of Justice (number FHQ/ABJ/X/SARS/540/2012), signed by Ade Irehovbude Esq. for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Edo State, said:

“While Danjuma Musa and Muritala Usman also confessed to the crime, we are constrained to observe that the Investigation Report suggests clearly that the said Danjuma Musa and Muritala Usman had been in the custody of the Edo State Police Command since 24/04/2012, in respect of a case of unlawful possession of cartridges before the suspects were taken over by the FCID, interrogated and reportedly confessed to this incident that took place on the 4th of May, 2012. This is evidently incongruous.”

The legal advise also noted that the gun allegedly sent to the Deputy Inspector General of Police (FCID), Abuja, a locally made cut to size gun and one cartridge, said to have been recovered on 24/04/2012 by Esigie Police Division, as the one used to kill Olaitan, had been in the possession of the Police since 4th May, 2012, asking “Could a weapon recovered and in possession of the Police be confirmed by the suspects to have been used for the commission of the offense?”

Barrister Osaro Osemwegie said with the legal advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Rev. Ugolor has no case to answer in connection with the murder of Olaitan, and that the police has no right to arrest, detain or harass his client.

Commenting in the same vein, Barrister Olayiwola Afolabi, lead Counsel to Ugolor, alleged that the suspects paraded by the police were already in detention for different armed robbery cases long before Olaitan was killed.

“Is the Inspector General of Police suggesting that the police escorted the suspects to Olaitan’s house to kill him? Is the Inspector General of Police suggesting that the police lend the gun to the suspects to kill Olaitan,” Afolabi queried, adding that the IGP to tender an unreserved apology to Ugolor for trampling on his human right.