By Adeola Badru

A criminal case instituted by the Oyo State Government against Mr Kamil Akinlabi, a former member of the House of Representatives and Chairman, Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) has been discontinued and withdrawn by the state.

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The suit (Oyo vs Akinlabi) Hoy/5c/2016 which was to be revisited after several adjournments, was dismissed by Justice Iyabo Yerima at court four of the State High Court in Ibadan.

The former federal lawmaker was in 2016 arraigned before the state high court by the police for allegedly conspiring with two others to accuse the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, of bomb planting and rights violation.

The police alleged then that the suspect conspired with three other persons to defame Oba Adeyemi in the January 31 edition of National Mirror newspaper, accusing him of “violating human rights and planting bombs within Oyo and its environs knowing same to be false.”

The discontinuation yesterday, was at the instance of the power of the state’s Attorney-General, Prof. Oyelowo Oyewo, who told the court in a letter to discontinue the case which was taken to court in 2016 by a revered traditional ruler in the state.

While reacting to the development, Akinlabi, who was appointed by the Seyi Makinde administration as the Chairman, Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) in 2019, said he was happy that justice prevailed on the matter despite that it took a long time.

“I must give kudos to the judiciary, you should see the unbiased prosecution of the case from the beginning till it was discontinued, it reaffirmed the fact that the court of law is truly the last hope for the common man.”

“It is one thing to take an action and it is another thing to be ready to bear the consequence of that action, this I have shown and we are happy that the matter spoke for itself, even when charges were amended about two or three times, but I am glad to tell you today that it is a new dawn.”

“The Ministry of Justice came in today and withdrew the charges, the reasons, best known to them, but we thank God and whoever was behind the decision and this has given me the opportunity to accept that this is the period when the rule of law is held sacred.”

Akinlabi went further to urge the government to improve the facilities in the law courts so as to make the judicial system better in its service to the people.

He lamented the fact that Justices still wrote judgments with long hands when technology could be deployed for such, saying that the introduction of modern technology would help hasten cases in law courts.

Vanguard