APC Chieftain petitions Lagos AG over release of suspects

A chieftain of the All Progressives’ Congress, APC, in Lagos State, Ibrahim Mustapha who was matcheted by political thugs during the party’s primaries conducted recently, has petitioned the Attorney General and Commissioner Justice in Lagos State, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, over the alleged release of suspects arrested in connection with his attempted murder.

The suspects, Rasaq Akinwale, aka Shanko, and Yomi Adedayo were remanded in the Prisons on the order of an Igbosere Magistrate Court. The accused were allegedly working on the orders of Hon. Ganiu Sanni Okanlawon, the Special Adviser on Food Security to Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode.

Rasaq Akinwale, aka Shanko, and Yomi Adedayo and six others, allegedly attempted to kill Ibrahim Mustapha, a former Chairmanship aspirant in Kosofe Local Govt, with a knife and other dangerous weapons, on 4th of October at Anthony Village in Lagos during the APC National Assembly Primaries.

In a petition addressed to the Honourable Attorney General by the Counsel of the Chieftain, sighted by journalists in Lagos, it stated that on the 4th day of October 2018, an attempt was made on the life of Ibrahim Mustapha thereby causing him a grievous bodily injury, consequently, upon a petition written to the office of the Inspector General of Police, investigation commenced and certain individuals were arrested.

The petition also stated that of about six suspects, two (Rasak Akinwale and Yomi Adedayo) were arrested and charged before the Magistrate Court of Lagos (Court 2) Igbosere in Charge Nos. B/102/2018 and B/103/2018 on the 18th and 25th of October 2018 respectively.

The petition was equally addressed to the Permanent Secretary, in the Ministry of Justice, the Inspector General of Police and the Sector Commander, IGP Monitoring Unit Striking Team, as well as the the Presiding Magistrate, Court 2, Magistrate Court of Lagos, Igbosere Magisterial District.

After being arraigned on the said dates, the prosecutor applied that they be remanded in custody pending the legal advice of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) and the cases were adjourned to 2nd November 2018 respectively. But it was reliably gathered that the Police Prosecutor submitted applications for the said legal advice on the 23rd and 29th of October, 2018 respectively.

To the surprise and utmost disdain of the Mustapha, it was discovered that a legal advice dated 29th October, 2018 was purportedly issued by the office of the DPP on a date which coincided with the same date the case file in Charge B/103/2018 was sent to the said office.

Secondly, the legal advice reads and covers names of three individuals (including Ganiyu Sanni Okanlawon) whereas only case files of two persons were sent to the office of the DPP by the Police Prosecutor.

The counsel also stated that their disdain became heightened when they had an opportunity to peruse the most disappointing, unreasonable and illogical legal advice purportedly issued by the highest prosecuting office in the great state of Lagos State.

Quoting from the petition addressed to the Commissioner of Justice, the counsel stated; “Sir, by the said legal advice and despite overwhelming evidence including matchetes, videos of attacks, pictures of our client’s bruised skull and medical reports, etc., what the DPP concluded by its hasty and adumbrate advice is that our client’s case and allegation is based on mere suspicion.

“We have attached the said advice to this petition with the optimism that you will use your good office to direct a review of the said advice which has led many to wonder when the office of the DPP which ordinarily takes its time and exhibit professionalism has all of a sudden turned to a tool favouring criminals and letting them off the hook in the face of apparent criminal allegations.

“It is also worthy to note sir that upon the issuance of the legal advice a copy of which was sent to the Court, the accused persons were released from custody on the 30th day of October 2018 despite the case having been adjourned to the 2nd day of November 2018. We need not say more that there is obviously a disgraceful and disappointing conspiracy between the supposedly revered office of the DPP and the accused persons.

“Whilst not being oblivious of the constitutional powers of the office of the HAG and the DPP alike on instituting and discontinuing criminal proceedings at will, we wish to state that same must not be exercised arbitrarily in the face of clear evidence otherwise, we may successfully be returning the State and in fact the entire country into a state of anarchy and lawlessness,” the petition said.

It will be recalled, as widely reported in the media, that Ibrahim Mustapha, a former Chairmanship aspirant in Kosofe Local Government area, narrowly escaped death on Thursday, 4th October, when political thugs attacked him at Anthony Village. He was immediately rushed to a private hospital in Lagos.

Mustapha was attacked by political thugs suspected to be working for the Special Adviser to the Governor of Lagos on Food Security, Ganiu Okanlawon and a member of Lagos state House of Assembly, Hon. Bayo Oshinowo, and matcheted him severally on the head.

Eyewitnesses informed our reporter on the day of attack that the assailants, numbering two-five, swooped on him and allegedly inflicted deep machete cuts on his heads and other parts of his body. Some of the voters who were with him also sustained various degrees of injuries.