A Lagos State High Court sitting in the Ikeja division of Lagos State has ordered the release of a man named Muideen Bilau who had been imprisoned for nine years without trial.
According to media reports, this was contained in a judgment given by Justice Rahman Adesola Oshodi, discharging Muideen Bilau on Monday, January 23, 2023, after nine years of remand at the Kirikiri Medium Correctional Centre.
It was learnt that Bilau was arrested on April 5, 2014, around Igando, in the Igando-Ikotun LCDA of Alimosho LGA, where he paid a visit to one of his friends from his hometown of Oyo, Oyo State and was arraigned on Monday, April 14, 2014, before T. A. Elias (CM II) at Court 5, Abule Egba, Ikeja Magisterial District, for an alleged offence of defilement and later remanded in the Kirikiri Medium prison, now correctional centre.
He was released on the application of his legal team, led by Yusuf Temilola who informed the Court in his petition to discharge the defendant, that the defendant had been remanded in the prison since April 14, 2014, without trial.
On September 14, 2021, Hon. Justice T. G. Ringim of the Federal High Court delivered judgment based on the fact that the State had preferred information against the defendant before a Court of competent jurisdiction.
Reacting to the application of the defendant’s counsel, the investigation counsel, Inumidun Okeowo left the decision up to the Court.
In a well-considered ruling, Justice R. A. Oshodi stated that this is a case in which the court would exercise its inherent powers and the provisions of Section 232(1)(b) of the administration of Criminal Justice Law of Lagos State 2015 (2021 as amended), Section 35(4) and 36(5) of the Federal Republic of Nigeria's 1999 Constitution (as amended). The defendant was thereafter discharged by the court.
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