A Benin High Court has granted bail to David Ugolor, Environmental Rights Activist who was detained in connection with alleged complicity in the Murder of the Principal Private Secretary to Edo State Governor Olaitan Oyerinde.
The Court presided over by Justice Philip Imoedemhe granted Mr Ugolor bail Monday in the sum of N1 million and a surety with landed property in Benin City, the Edo state capital.
He was earlier arraigned and remanded in prison custody by Chief Magistrate Francis Idiake of an Oredo Chief Magistrate’s Court on 31 August, 2012 alongside nine others accused of killing late Olaitan.
The application for bail sought by Olayiwola Afolabi, counsel to the accused, had relied on Section 118 (2) of the Criminal Procedure Law CAP. 49, vol. 11, laws of former Bendel State of Nigeria, now applicable to Edo State.
Mr Afolabi, who led two other lawyers, argued that the evidences advanced before the court by the respondent (police) were not enough to hold Mr Ugolor, adding that the Department of State Security Service, SSS, had established a case of conspiracy and robbery against other suspects arrested in connection with the murder of Olaitan.
Counsel to the state, Mrs Adekumbi, however, opposed the bail application, saying that the police were yet to complete their investigation on the murder case in which Mr Ugolor was implicated.
After listening to arguments of both counsels, Justice Imoedemhe held that police argument lacked sufficient evidence, stressing that the statement of the first accused, Garuba Usman Maisameri wherein Mr Ugolo’s name was mentioned, which are part of the evidence adduced by the respondent, were not enough reasons to keep the accused person in perpetual detention.
He therefore granted Mr Ugolor bail.
A Benin a high Court had earlier ordered Unconditional release of Mr Ugolor prior to his arraignment in court which was not honoured by the Police.