Court Grants Bail to Seven Suspects Involved in Alleged Invasion of Edo Assembly

Adibe Emenyonu

Edo State High Court in Benin-city yesterday granted bail to seven suspects facing trial for alleged invasion of the state House of Assembly complex on August 6, 2020.

The suspects: Wilfred Ogbewe, 52; Igbinobono Collins, 26; Salami Osayomore, 25; Odion Osayande,23; Morgan Uwanboe, 47; Ifeoluwa Oladele, 36, and Agbonrere Festus, 25, were arrested for allegedly invading the state House of Assembly premises in a manner that caused breach of peace.

The suspects were arrested by a team of policemen led by one Superintendent Dahiru Ibrahim from Abuja at the premises of the state Assembly on the said date.

Granting the bail, the presiding Judge, Justice Efe Ikponmwoba, admitted the suspects to bail in the sum of N500,000 with a surety each in like sum.

Ikponmwoba said the surety must be gainfully employed and resides within the court’s jurisdiction.

Meanwhile, the judge adjourned to September 8 for the judgment on their fundamental human rights

Counsel to the applicants, Mr. Matthias Obayuwana, who filed a 24 paragraphs affidavit in support of his motion, submitted that the motion was aimed at enforcing the fundamental human rights to liberty and personal dignity, freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of the applicants by the police authorities.

He submitted that the applicants were arrested while performing their lawful duties as members of the state vigilante, who were at the Assembly complex at the instance of state government to protect the place from being vandalised by hoodlums on that fateful day.