Odo-Owa Masquerade Festival Mayhem: Court fixes July 11 to rule on suspects’ bail application

By Kayode Adeoti

The Magistrate Court, sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, last Friday, fixed July 11th to rule on bail applications of suspects who were arrested for allegedly causing mayhem during Odo-Owa masquerade festival.
The defendants; Oguntoye Bayo, Femi Olamide, Olaniyi Jamiu and Abolarin Matthew are of various addresses in Odo Owa, Gbede, Kajola, Ikole in Oke-Ero and Ekiti Local Governments of the state.
The prosecutor, Sgt Adewumi Johnson said that the advice of the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) which is important on the matter; is still being awaited.
Counsel to the defendants, Barrister Raphael Sunday Ashaolu informed the court to discountenance the submission of the prosecutor, stressing that it lacks basis.
Ashaolu posited that the prosecutor has not said anything as regards the matter, arguing further that the 1999 constitution as amended has simplified the issue of DPP advice on criminal cases, saying the court can go ahead to exercise its discretionary and judicial power on the issue of bail of the defendants.
He added that the DPP advice, according to the new law is not sacrosanct in the matter and cannot justify the condition in which the defendants can be admitted to bail.
According to him, DPP advice amounted to wasting of time.
Meanwhile, the Police First Information Report (FIR) revealed that on May 31, 2019, information was received by the security operatives that crisis  broke out in the aforementioned communities following the masquerade festival organised by Odo-Owa community.
The masquerades from Odo-Owa were said to have trespassed into the neighbouring communities’ thereby causing crisis.
They were alleged to have unleashed terror on members of Kajola, Gbede and Ikotun communities including innocent passersby.
The development reportedly led to the death of three persons; Olukosi Sunday, Olasunkanmi Agboola both of Kajola community and Akinola Emmanuel of Gbede town.
In the course of police investigation, the defendants, who were believed to have actively participated in the crisis, were arrested.
Recovered from them during the arrest were dangerous weapons and charms, the FIR divulged.
The Police report further stated that the Investigation conducted at the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, (CIID) revealed that the defendants, Bayo, Olamide and Jamiu came into the communities with dangerous weapons and charms to cause mayhem.
The first defendant, Bayo was said to have confessed at the police station that he left his community, Ikole, with axe and when searched, a purse containing ‘juju’ and tramadol were recovered from him.