Court remands two men for allegedly defaming Osun Speaker

By ThePoint -June 6, 20230153

BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO

A Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State has ordered that two men be remanded in correctional centre for allegedly defaming the newly inaugurated Speaker of the state, Adewale Egbedun.

The defendants, Ajibola Oluwasegun Fawale, aged 34 and Ajiboye Babatunde, 28, were arraigned on Tuesday by the state police command.

The police slammed the duo with two count-charge bordering on publication of defamatory content on the social media.

Fawale and Babatunde were accused of posting on social media that Egbedun is a fraudster and that he had been declared wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

They allegedly committed the offence with others said to be at large on June 2, 2023 at about 7:00 am in Osogbo.

Details of the charge read to the defendants in court were, “That you Ajibola Oluwasegun Fawale and Ajiboye Babatunde and others now at large, on or about 2nd day of June 2023, at about 7:00am at Osogbo, Osun State in the Osogbo Magisterial District, did among yourselves to commit offence to wit: Publication of Defamatory of Character Matter, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 517 of the Criminal Code Cap 34 Vol. If laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.

“That you Ajibola Oluwasegun Fawale and Ajiboye Babatunde and others now at large, on the same date, time, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District, with intent to injure the reputation of one Hon. Egbedun Adewale, did falsely post on a social media that Hon. Egbedun Adewale is a fraudster declared wanted by FBI/EFCC, thereby exposing him to hatred or ridicule, or damage to his profession or trade/reputation and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 373 and punishable under Section 375 of the Criminal Code Cap. 34 Vol. II, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.”

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

Counsels to Fawale and Babatunde,Oluwabusayo Ebo and Taiwo Awokunle respectively, while moving their oral bail applications separately, urged the court to grant the accused bail in liberal terms, assuring the court that they have reliable persons to stand their sureties and that they would be available to stand their trial.

However, the police prosecutor, John Idoko, objected the oral applications and argued that the defendants would escape and that they would tamper with police evidence if released on bail.

The defence counsels further urged the court to discountenance the grounds of objections of the prosecutor and described them as misconceived and baseless constitutionally.

They said their clients had made themselves available at the police station upon invitation and that they would not run away if granted bail.

The presiding Chief Magistrate, Olusegun Ayilara, ordered that the defendants be remanded in correctional facility and adjourned till June 9 for delivery of ruling on applications for bail.

Seriously it’s a big case at hand, some said the Speaker is on FBI watch lists.

The funniest thing is that these two defendants plead not guilty. This is a serious case at hand

Serious case

A new Speaker in Osun State House of Assembly having issues like this one really spelled doom about him.

A new Speaker in Osun State House of Assembly having issues like this one really spelled doom about him. FBI approaching Nigeria government about his case will really complicate issues.

9jahotblog:
The funniest thing is that these two defendants plead not guilty. This is a serious case at hand

Lol you too are also guilty because this how you've been shouting Drug Lord he reach una turn una no fit bare am..

inoki247:




Lol you too are also guilty because this how you've been shouting Drug Lord he reach una turn una no fit bare am..

Abegi joor. Tinubu didn’t deny his own case now. Ask festus keyamo and Bayo Onanuga now

PRESS STATEMENT.

(JUNE 7TH, 2023).



Osun APC Expresses Resentment On Member's Remand Over Egbedun's Case



The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the latest onslaught of Governor Ademola Adeleke-led administration on the opposition members of the party in the state with the unsuspecting use of the judiciary.



The opposition party in the state also enjoined the judiciary at all levels of its existence in the state to be circumspect on political matters in order for the public not to lose the confidence of the court, since its existence has no expiry date.



It would be recalled that a member of the APC social media team, Ajibola Oluwasegun Fawale was remanded at Ilesa Correctional Centre on Tuesday, on the order of the presiding Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara for criticizing the Right Honourable Adewale Egbedun in a story that was shared online recently, till June 9, 2023 for delivery of ruling on applications for bail.



According to the Osun State Acting Chairman of the APC, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party's Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo today, it was a pity that the newly-sworn-in Speaker of the state House of Assembly has chosen to start his political journey on a wrong footing with the unsavoury legal development against the opposition.



Lawal pointedly told Egbedun that though there is nothing wrong in anyone seeking a redress in the court of law over a knotty issue but there is a diplomatic way it could be effected by a public officer without necessarily ruffling the feather.



He told Egbedun that his approach to the criticism of the opposition is a pointer to the fact that he is a baby politician who needs to learn the rope as he will still find more battles to contend with during his leadership of the House of Assembly.



Lawal observed that Egbedun needs to enrol for pupillage in the political school of the immediate-past Speaker of the House, Right-Honourable Timothy Owoeye, on the need to develop a thick skin to allegations whether real or imaginary if he targets tangible achievement in the office.



In the words of the state acting chairman of the party: "I am yet to recall any occasion that Owoeye had called out or sued any member of the PDP when they were in the opposition for criticizing him whether constructively or otherwise.



"How about the immediate-past Governor Gboyega Oyetola who the PDP gladiators and their political footsoldiers would not cease calling names or criticized unjustifiably on daily basis. Has he ever gone to court once?



"Egbedun should know that whatever is the outcome of his current legal battle with the opposition, there is no way that he can win the war.



"It should dawn on the Speaker that the Egbedun of yesterday is not the Egbedun of today which makes any of his actions and inactions matters of public interest as a public officer.



"My golden piece of advice for the judiciary is to thread softly on this political matter and handle same with professional diligence and unbiasedness in order not to be seen as a willing tool in the hand of the government of the day", Lawal cautioned.



e-SIGNED:

Sooko TAJUDEEN LAWAL,

Acting Chairman,

Osun State APC.

9jahotblog:
Abegi joor. Tinubu didn’t deny his own case now. Ask festus keyamo and Bayo Onanuga now

Ok if they pick you up like the people you accused this what you will be saying when the counsel is asking you questions...



What you can't take you want others to take it...


You're just an hypocrite...

inoki247:



Ok if they pick you up like the people you accused this what you will be saying when the counsel is asking you questions...



What you can't take you want others to take it...


You're just an hypocrite...

Tinubu news of drug related offences have been on the media for years, so your propaganda didn’t hold any water joor

9jahotblog:
Tinubu news of drug related offences have been on the media for years, so your propaganda didn’t hold any water joor

Ok this are all the jargons you will be spewing you finally get arrested like the people in this news....



You too will plead not guilty and be saying this same jargons.....

inoki247:




Ok this are all the jargons you will be spewing you finally get arrested like the people in this news....



You too will plead not guilty and be saying this same jargons.....

stop displaying your ignorance here, Tinubu drug related cases have been on the media for years, why can’t Tinubu goes to USA 🇺🇸 to clear his name now. Stop been clueless here joor

9jahotblog:
stop displaying your ignorance here, Tinubu drug related cases have been on the media for years, why can’t Tinubu goes to USA 🇺🇸 to clear his name now. Stop been clueless here joor

Maybe the Osun Speaker too needs to go to USA to clear is name... Since you're not clueless....

inoki247:




Maybe the Osun Speaker too needs to go to USA to clear is name... Since you're not clueless....

stop been clueless with your propaganda here.

9jahotblog:
stop been clueless with your propaganda here.

The thing dey pepper you like this you wan cry don't du to others what you can't take why you dey share tears like giveaway like this ...



Osun Speaker must go to US to clear his name....

inoki247:




The thing dey pepper you like this you wan cry don't du to others what you can't take why you dey share tears like giveaway like this ...



Osun Speaker must go to US to clear his name....

stop been clueless here, he should go and clear his name on the FBI list now

Osun speakers and dirty past

bennybuhari:
Osun speakers and dirty past

very dirty seriously. Their ending is what the people always wait. They always end in shame and disgrace jare