By Starrys Obazei

LAGOS—A rights group, Concerned Human Rights Nigeria, CHRN, led by Mr. Declan Ihekaire, has protested the action of a murder suspect, Aiyenogun Babatunde, a.k.a Holy Michael, Lagos State Chairman of Tricycle Owners Drivers Association, TODA, a splinter group from the original state association of tricycle drivers.

At a press conference on Monday,, the group flayed the ineffectiveness of the bench warrant issued October 13, 2015 on Babatunde, who was arrested over the death of Ademola Yusuf, stabbed fatally during a crisis between TODA and the original state association.

The group said that on February 15,2016, the bench warrant was renewed as canvassed by a state counsel, Mr. Tunde Sunmonu and the case adjourned to March 23, 2016.

“We want the murder suspect, Babatunde, to be arrested and brought to court to prove his innocence or otherwise in the murder charge,” the group said.

The group also bemoaned the abuse of bench warrants by lawyers, interested only in collecting their professional/appearance fees from their “run-away clients.”

It said: “We therefore appeal to judges to introduce stiffer measures in granting bails to suspects in crimes of such magnitude.

“We want the murder suspect, Babatunde, to be arrested and brought to court to prove his innocence or otherwise in the murder charge.”