The driver struck an FRSC officer, Sunday Abolusoro, with his vehicle on the Ilesa-Akure Expressway on November 25, leading to the officer’s death.
Sola Olagunju, the reckless driver who killed an officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ondo State, has been arraigned at the Magistrate’s Court in the state.
Mr. Olagunju was dragged by men of the Ondo State Police Command to the Magistrate's Court One sitting in Akure on Wednesday.
The driver struck an FRSC officer, Sehinde Abolusoro, with his vehicle on the Ilesa-Akure Expressway on November 25, leading to the officer’s death.
The late Abolusoro was the Deputy Route Commander (DRC) with the Ondo Sector Command of the FRSC and was killed on the job.
Prosecutor Martins Olowofeso explained to the magistrates how Mr. Olagunju’s reckless and dangerous driving led to the death of Mr. Abolusoro.
“The driver (Sola Olagunju), in his Toyota Matrix with registration no. APP 87 DF, drove on a public highway in a manner which is dangerous to the public,” Mr. Olowofeso said, adding that his reckless driving “caused the death of Mr. Adolusoro.”
He stated that the driver committed an offense that contravenes the Section 18 (15) of the constitution and that the offense is punishable under Section I) RTL Cap. III Vol. 6 Law of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
The prosecutor told the court that there are four witnesses ready to testify in the magistrate’s court over the death of the FRSC driver.
Mr. Olagunju pleaded not guilty to the offense when the charge was read to him.
Mr. Olowofeso asked the court to grant him more time to enable him to further study the case file in order to establish more facts.
He also pleaded for an adjournment of the case to enable him to assemble all the witnesses before the trial court.
The defense counsel, Olawale Ayenaju, supported the police prosecutor’s motion to adjourn the case.
Mr. Ayenaju also pleaded with the court to grant his client bail in liberal terms with a promise not to jump any conditions attached to it.
Chief Magistrate Gbenle Awodeyi, in his ruling, granted the accused a bail of N1 million with one surety in like sum.
He adjourned the case till February 1, 2018 for further hearing at the same court.
Meanwhile, our correspondent has also gathered that the offending driver had earlier met with the families of the dead FRSC officer through his lawyer.
A source who spoke in confidence told SaharaReporters that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been reached between the two parties concerning the ways in which the family of the deceased will be cared for.
