SaharaReporters earlier reported how the court refused the bail application filed on behalf of Tani Olohun.
Adedamola Solesi, a lawyer representing Adegbola Abdulazeez, a remanded Isese (indigenous religion) practitioner and activist, has said his client cannot get justice in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Mr Solesi, who said this on Tuesday after the hearing of his client’s bail application at the Kwara State Chief Magistrate Court, lamented that the manner by which trial judges and security operatives in the state had handled Tani Olohun’s case indicated that the judiciary and the police had been compromised.
SaharaReporters earlier reported how the court refused the bail application filed on behalf of Tani Olohun.
Commenting on the court judgement, Solesi alleged the trial judge deliberately refused the bail application. He, therefore, expressed a lack of confidence in the court proceeding.
He said, “Tani Olohun cannot get justice in Ilorin. If nobody else wants to say it, I will say it. Tani Olohun cannot get justice in Ilorin. I have been able to feel the nerve of the police; they are unwilling to arrest these people when they harass us. I have been able to feel the nerves of the court. Both at the upper area court and the magistrate court. These people will continue to have their way even up to the court of appeal.
“They have a court of appeal here if you say you want to appeal. We are still at the lower court. We are not even yet at the High Court. If we continue on this path up to the court of appeal, our client (Tani Olohun) will continue to be in detention. In my years of practice, I challenge any lawyer in Nigeria to challenge me that what I am saying is not right.
“I have never seen such a situation in my life. See, the law has moved from mere technicalities; slaughtering justice on mere technicalities.
“The criminal justice system in Nigeria has gotten to a situation whereby even when an accused person, a defendant that is alleged of committing an offence which is not a capital offence, which is not murder or offence that attracts death penalty or life imprisonment, even if he does not have a lawyer, he will be granted bail.
“I am saying to the whole world that the criminal justice system in Nigeria has evolved to the extent that a person alleged to have committed an act which is not a capital offence when he comes to court, when he is arraigned, when his plea has been taken in court and he has pleaded not guilty, whether or not he has a lawyer – especially magistrate court, a magistrate court is not a superior court of record – he can orally take his bail the very day he was arraigned.”
“From that session, they have been dragging us back. Personally, what I thought was that they just want to keep him for some time before he gets the bail not knowing that they don’t have the intention however to release him,” he added.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that the judge, while making reference to the counter-affidavit filed against Tani Olohun’s bail application, said the other party (police) believed Tani Olohun committed the alleged offence and there was no assurance that his appearance would be guaranteed in court if granted bail.
“That I know as a matter of fact if the defendant applicant is released on bail, he will jump bail. He has no reliable surety that will ensure his presence in court when required because he resides outside the jurisdiction of the court.
“He has no traceable address,” the judge quoted some paragraphs from the respondent’s counter-affidavit.
Tani Olorun was remanded in prison for allegedly planning to “start a war” in Ilorin city, the Kwara State capital, by "inviting other traditional and idol worshippers to assemble in Ilorin on the 20th of August, 2023”.
He was also accused of burning the Quran and insulting some Islamic clerics.
It was also reported that some Muslim clerics in Ilorin earlier threatened to stone some Isese worshippers performing rites at a river in the Oko Lowo area of the state.
The Muslim clerics were caught on camera threatening to stone the indigenous religion practitioners including their priestess, who was there.