The Federal Government has filed terrorism charges against the leader of Aswani International Market in Lagos Taoreed Farounbi aka Baba Alado and six others.
The government filed three-count charges before Justice Muslim Hassan of a Federal High Court in Lagos.
Farounbi and his co-defendants are being accused of conspiring and participating in acts of terrorism, leading to the killing of two men, Debo Olohunyo and Chibuzor Daniel, in the White Sand area of Isheri-Osun, Lagos on March 19, 2020.
The prosecution alleged that the defendants caused the destruction of property in the area.
It also said the defendants acted contrary to Section 1(2) (a) of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011 as amended by Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act 2013.
Listed as Farounbi’s co-defendants are Olusegun Akinde alias Echo, Ayokunle Fakiyesi, Idowu Akinde, Musiliu Oladejo, Lekan Matthew, and Adeleke Akindeji.
The scheduled arraignment of the defendants was stalled on Monday as the prosecuting counsel for the state, A. K. Alilu, told the judge that save for the sixth defendant Lekan Matthew, who was in court, the others had not been seen again after they were granted administrative bail.
Defence counsel M.B. Jimoh-Akogun assured the court that his clients had not absconded, saying the impression they had was that the case was fixed for December 16.
Following Jimoh-Akogun’s undertaking to accept service of the charge sheet on his clients, Justice Hassan ordered that the charge sheet be served on him, while he made an order remanding Matthew in correctional custody, pending the defendants’ arraignment on January 28, 2021.
