BY OLA AJAYI
OYO State High Court has struck out the bail application for the release of the Senate Leader, Senator Teslim Folarin who was detained for nine days for alleged involvement in the murder of the factional leader of the former factional chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Alhaji Lateef Salako a.k.a Eleweomo.

According to Justice Muktar Ladipo Abimbola who presided over the case, since event had overtaken his judgment on the application heard last Wednesday, any judgment on the application would amount to academic exercise. He then, struck out the application.

But, the Oyo State Government represented by the Legal Drafting and Ministerial Counsel, Mr. S. A. Adeoye said it was not part of the release of Senator Folarin by the magistrate Court last Thursday.

Adeoye explained that the withdrawal of the holden charge against Folarin was solely done by the police authority without making any recourse to the Oyo State Government.

He said, “Last week Thursday, on the application of the police at the magistrate court, the  police authority withdrew the holden charge against Senator Folarin on the ground that it is still investigating the matter. Consequently, the accused persons were released. I have an instruction from the Ministry of Justice to inform the court that the Ministry of Justice is not part of what happened at the magistrate court. Based on that, we leave every decision pertaining to this case to your lordship.”

Counsel to Folarin, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, who lead others said it was not strange that the Ministry of Justice claimed ignorance of the steps taken by the police authority.

He argued that since the court had earlier released the accused persons, any contary decision or step taken it would be superfluous because the acclaimed accused persons had  been released from the bail.

However, in an electronic mail sent by the Oyo State Government, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Abdusalam Ladipo Abdullah quoted Section 211 of the Constitution which empowers him to prosecute the case to a logical conclusion.

He said, “let me say that the Oyo State Commissioner for Justice, has a duty before man and God to bring all facts about the case (both in favour and against the accused persons) before the court if I am convinced that the Federal Attorney General has in any way committed an offence in Oyo State, by Allah who created heaven and earth, I will not hesitate to file a charge against the minister.

He then concluded that “the charge against the accused person vide charge no. 1/2c/2011 is still subsisting and trial shall commence as soon as hearing notice is served on us.”