Yewande Oyediran, a female
lawyer, alleged to have killed her husband, Lowo Oyediran, on Wednesday sought
for an order of an Oyo State High Court, Ibadan, to strike out a charge of
murder levelled against her.
Justpye reports that
Oyediran, of the Directorate of the Public Prosecution (DPPs), Oyo State
Ministry of Justice, allegedly murdered Lowo by stabbing him with a knife on
Feb.2.
The counsel representing
Oyediran, Bioye Ashanike, told the court that he had filed a preliminary
objection in respect of the charge of murder preferred against his client.
Ashanike urged the court to
strike out the murder charge against his client for incompetence.
In his response, Director
of Public Prosecutions (DPPs), Tajudeen Abdulganiyu, told the court that the
preliminary objection was just served on him on Tuesday evening.
Abdulganiyu said that he
was opposed to the striking-out of the application, describing it as frivolous.
The DPPs urged the court to
grant him an adjournment to enable him respond to the application.
However, counsel to the
family of the deceased, Yomi Aliyu, told the court that the family of the
deceased wanted a private prosecutor and that an application had been filed in
respect of that.
Aliyu said that the
defendant works with the Oyo State Ministry of Justice.
Therefore, the DPPs may not
properly prosecute the defendant because she is currently one of its staff
members and everybody wants justice.
He said that the
application was served on the Oyo State Solicitor-General, Permanent Secretary
and Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State.
The DPP confirmed that the
application had been filed and said that it was the prerogative of the Ministry
of Justice to decide whether a private prosecutor would be allow.
Abdulganiyu said that he
cannot take any decision now but hopefully the ministry would decide as soon as
possible.
Justice Muktar Abimbola
adjourned the case till April 18 when it would hear the response of the DPPs on
the preliminary objection and the issue of private prosecutor.
Abimbola, who sympathised
with the deceased family, promised to give the case an accelerated hearing.
(NAN)