Two out of the three suspects accused of allegedly murdering a naval officer, Sub-Lt. Ayomide Akingbagbohun, in Idoani, Ose Local Council, Ondo State, have been remanded at the Olokuta Correctional Centre by an Akure Chief Magistrates’ Court.

The defendants, Ayomide Sambo, 20, and Johnson Adeleke, 20, were ordered to be remanded until the Department of Public Prosecutions, DPP, issues its advice.

During the court proceedings, Chief Magistrate Musa Al-Yunus stated that there were reasonable grounds to believe that the two suspects should be remanded.

Meanwhile, the third defendant, Francis Shagari, was granted bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties of equal value.

On July 4, 2023, the police charged Sambo, Adeleke, and Shagari with conspiracy and murder.

Inspector Nelson Akintimehin, the prosecutor, informed the court that the defendants, along with other individuals at large, allegedly committed the offences on June 26, 2023, around 7:40 p.m. at Idoani in the state’s magisterial district.

Akintimehin stated that the defendants brutally beat the victim with an iron rod, planks, and stones, targeting his head, chest, and testicles.

According to the prosecutor, the actions of the defendants were in clear violation of Sections 319, 316, and 342 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of the Ondo State, Nigeria, 2006.

With the defendants’ pleas not taken, the prosecutor requested the court to remand them in the Olokuta Correctional Centre, stressin that would allow him to prepare and submit their case file to the DPP.

However, the defendants’ counsel, Tolulope Adebiyi, made a plea to the court for her clients’ bail. Adebiyi specifically highlighted that the third defendant, 17-year-old Shagari, is underage and should not be subjected to trial in an adult court.

Furthermore, Adebiyi informed the court that the second defendant, Sambo, is a sickle cell patient.

She emphasised that if remanded, Sambo would be deprived of necessary medical care. As a result, she requested the court to grant him bail, ensuring his access to the required medical attention.

Chief Magistrate Al-Yunus adjourned the case till August 1 for mention.