By Demola Akinyemi, Ilorin

A Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, Wednesday granted bail to Kwara State Correspondent of Vanguard Newspaper, Mr Demola Akinyemi over a case of alleged criminal conspiracy, defamation and falsehood levelled against him by an Ilorin based trader ,Alhaja Mariam Babatunde Arolahun.

Arolahun a trader in the popular Oja -Tutun market, Ilorin had petitioned the police alleging Vanguard Correspondent of “criminal conspiracy, defamation and falsehood” over a publication in the paper’s Online medium titled “Kwara market women threatens to protest naked over colleagues mysterious death”

The story which was published in the paper’s Online medium of January 30th 2024 prompted the complainant representatives to visit Vanguard Correspondent in his office in January 2024 ,immediately the story was published where it was agreed after discussions that the complainant side of the story should be brought for subsequent publication.

The complainant representatives never came back untill five months after,when a petition was written to the state police command alleging that the Correspondent had defamed the complainant’s character among others.

It would be recalled that in said story, the nominal complainant had allegedly an altercation with another trader , Medinat in the same Oja-tuntun market , Ilorin over misunderstanding that erupted between the duo over a shop allocated to them by the authorities of Ilorin West local government after which the co- trader later died.

Following the publication of the story, the complaint petitioned the police alleging conspiracy, defamation and falsehood.

Consequently the police on Tuesday invited Akinyemi and arraigned him before Magistrate Court in Ilorin on Wednesday .

In his submission before the court presided over by Magistrate Balkis Baraje, the prosecution ,represented by Corporal Abdulraheem Musa told the court not to grant the defendant bail saying the police had not concluded investigation and that the defendant might jump bail.

He said in the event the court decided to grant the defendant bail, stringent conditions should be attached to it.

But counsels to the defendant, A. C Okafor and H A Musa argued that the offences for which Akinyemi was arraigned in court is a minor offence and assured the court that the defendant will not jump bailed.

Okafor said “bail is at the discretion of the court and should be used judiciously”.

He said the Police First Information Report (FIR ) with which the defendant was brought to court ” is a mere information and the defendant is innocent until proven otherwise by the court”.

He urged the court to grant Akinyemi bail in subtle manner.

Okafor also said that “refusal of grant the defendant bail will amount to pre-trial punishment which the law abhors” .

After listening to the submissions of both prosecution and the defendant’s counsel , the presiding magistrate granted Akinyemi bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, one of which must be close relation to the defendant.

He later adjourned the case till May 20th for commencement of hearing.