The police in Oyo State have charged three men for allegedly murdering a traffic warden in Ibadan.

The police identified the three suspects as Segun Akinade (33); Adewale Olubode (28) and Monsuru Jimoh (32).

Police statement narrated that the suspects were alleged to have conspired to kill the traffic warden.

Giving the details during the parade of the suspects, the state Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Williams, said that the incident occurred at about 7:30pm on the fateful day.

According to the police commissioner, “one AP/No. 16860 STW Oluniyi Bamidele contravened a Micra commercial vehicle for obstruction. Immediately the driver learnt that he was to be taken to the station, he came down from the vehicle and pretended to have fainted. His action attracted other Micra drivers who attacked the police officers till one of them managed to escape, while his colleague, who could not, was mobbed.”

The second traffic warden who escaped by the whiskers was said to have run to Challenge Division that he and his colleague were attached to, to report the happening.  Immediately, the Divisional Police Officer, CSP Joyce Maiyaki and other police officers mobilised themselves and raced to the scene. But on getting there, the driver, who allegedly feigned death, and his Micra car were nowhere to be found. They only met the traffic warden in a pool of blood, with his uniform already torn off him, remaining the white singlet he wore underneath. Visible tyre marks were found on the singlet on his chest, indicating his being run over.

The police commissioner added: “Based on credible intelligence, the registration number of the vehicle of the principal suspect was gotten. Detectives swung into action and the suspects were arrested, including the principal suspect, Akinade Segun, who was contravened by the deceased and who raised the false alarm that led to the beating of the traffic wardens and eventual murder of the deceased, STW Oluniyi Bamidele.

In the words of the principal suspect at the parade, he said that he was in his vehicle when the other traffic warden, Afolabi Abiola, was deflating his tyre.  “I pushed off the officer deflating the tyre and the deceased hit me with his fist for doing that. I fell and became unconscious. I woke up about 30 minutes later and met myself in my car. I saw the deceased lying in a pool of his blood but didn’t know how it happened. I was driven to Muslim area and my car was handed over to me. From there, I drove it to the owner and handed it over to him,” Segun narrated.

It was gathered that the principal suspect thereafter went into hiding until he was tracked and arrested.

The owner of the vehicle was said to have been arrested because the driver narrated all that happened to him, including the killing of the traffic warden, but he kept it to himself and even gave the vehicle to the third suspect who started using it in another part of the city while he was also privy to the surrounding circumstances that led to his being given the car for use.

Further development revealed that the suspects had been arraigned in Chief Magistrate’s Court 1, Iyaganku, Ibadan, presided over by Me E.A. Idowu on charges of conspiracy, murder and concealment of information.

In a case between Commissioner of Police and Akinade Segun, Adewale Olubode and Monsuru Jimoh with charge sheet number MI/689c/2022,

Count 1 read: “That you Akinade Segun and others now at large on the 9th day of June, 2022, at about 7:30pm at New Garage area, Ibadan in the Ibadan Magisterial District did conspire with one another to commit felony to wit murder, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 324 of the Criminal Code cap 38 vol. II laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.”

Count 2 read: “That you Akinade Segun ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did unlawfully cause the death of one Inspector Oluniyi Bamidele ‘m’ aged 50 years, by beating him to death and running your Micra car over his body, and thereby committed contrary to Section 316 and punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code Cap 38 Vol.II laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.”

Count 3 read: “That you Adewale Olubode, Monsuru Jimoh and others now at large on the 9th day of June 2022 at about 7:30pm at New Garage area Ibadan in the Ibadan Magisterial District, did conspire with one another to commit felony to wit accessory after the facts to an offence of murder and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code cap 38 Vol.II laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.

Count 4 read: “That you Wale Olubode, Monsuru Jimoh and others now at large on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district knowing that one Akinade Segun ‘m’ and others have caused the death of one Inspector Oluniyi Bamidele’m’ did conceal this and failed to report the incident to the police in an attempt to assist him to escape punishment and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 519 of the criminal code cap 38 Vol. II laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000.”

The Chief Magistrate ordered the accused persons to be remanded in Abolongo Correctional Centre, Oyo, while the case file should be sent to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice.

He adjourned the matter till August 30 for further hearing.