The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami (SAN), has slammed terrorism charges on the leader of Aswani International Market, Chief Taoreed Farounbi, popularly called Baba Alado, and six other persons, before a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Farounbi, was charged alongside Olusegun Akeem Akinde (a.k.a Echo), Ayokunle Fakiyesi, Idowu Akinde, Musilu Oladejo, Lekan Matthew and Adeleke Akinjeji, before Justice Sule Hassan on a three count-charge of conspiracy to wit terrorism.
The scheduled arraignment of the defendants on Monday was stalled owing to prosecution’s failure to personally serve them with copies of the charge.
At the resumed hearing of the matter on Monday, only one of the defendants was brought to court.
Explaining the rationale behind other defendants’ absence, prosecution’s lawyer, A. K. Alilu, told the court that Baba Alado and five other defendants could not be located, since they were granted administrative bail by the police.
He further told the court that the defendants, after being granted administrative bail have severely failed to honour police invitation for the purpose of serving them the charge sheet.
In the circumstance, the prosecutor therefore asked the court for summons against the defendants, to appear for their trial. He also applied to court to serve the charge sheets on the defendants through their counsel, who were in court.
He also asked the court for an order remanding the sixth defendant, Lekan Matthew, in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), till a date for the trial of the defendant.
Responding, defendants’ lawyer, M.B Jimoh-Akogun, stated that in the last adjourned date, the ruling of the court was that the case is adjourned till December 16, 2020, and that the defendants are still of the notion that the date still remains sacrosant.