The trial of a Lagos-based pastor, Jude Ojo has been fixed for October 28 by Magistrate Antoinette Dirisu of the Lagos Magistrate Court, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State.
Pastor Jude Ojo was arraigned by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police on a three-count charge of conspiracy, perversion of the course of justice, and aiding the escape of five suspects, who allegedly threatened the life of a traditional ruler of Otumara community in Lagos, High Chief Kehinde Kalejaiye.
The principal witness, High Chief Kalejaiye, led in evidence by prosecuting counsel Ben Emuerhi, alleged a conspiracy between the defendant and the five suspects who are now at large to pervert justice.
The defendant, according to him, aided the escape of the suspects from being arrested by the police out of his free will.
He told the court, “It’s a conspiracy. There is a game plan between the defendant and the five suspects to pervert justice. My Lord, the defendant wine and dine with the suspects every day in the community. They are friends. He chose not to produce them before the court to answer to allegations levelled against them by the police.
The defendant is a conspirator. Let me cite an instance of a case I instituted against the defendant and the suspects at large in 2020. It borders on a similar count charge as the court is hearing today. It happened that in 2020, the defendant and the suspects at large were charged to court for assault, harassment, breach of public peace, and bullying me for championing the construction of Senior Secondary School in the community. But after much pleading from them and interventions from eminent personalities in the community, I discontinued this only for them to repeat the same act four years after.”
The prosecuting counsel, however, tendered a CTC of the charge sheet of the case, which was instituted against the defendant alongside the suspects in 2020.
According to Emuerhi, the document established a link between the defendant and the suspects at large.
Addressing the court, the prosecuting counsel said, “With the document before this court, the witness has proved that the defendant intentionally didn’t want to produce the suspects at large before the court. My Lord, the defendant is one of the suspects at large. The defendant, therefore, is attempting to pervert justice not only by not producing the suspects at large before the court but also by joining in a case as one of the complaints at Zone 2 to effect the arrest and eventual prosecution of the witness.”
The defense counsel, Mariam Ilo, objected to the document, arguing that it has no relevance to the case at hand.
She said, “The defendant stood surety for unknown suspects who are now at large. He cannot produce them; therefore, it has no relevance to the case at hand. Any attempt to muddle the water will create the wrong impression before the public. The fact in the said document is extraneous to this case.”
Magistrate Antoinette Dirisu of the Magistrate Court in Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos, admitted the document in evidence and adjourned the case to October 28 for further hearing.
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