Driver freed of attempted murder of LASTMA officer

A Lagos State High Court sitting in Ikeja, on Monday, acquitted a 29-year-old commercial bus driver, Ibrahim Yusuf, of charges of attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm to a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority officer.

Justice Oyindamola Ogala discharged and acquitted Yusuf of the charges of allegedly killing a LASTMA officer, Olatunde Awotola.

Yusuf, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo State, was tried after being accused of attacking the officer on February 12, 2022, in the Kosoko Ojodu area of Lagos.

The prosecution had alleged that Yusuf assaulted Awotola when the officer attempted to arrest him for obstructing traffic.

According to reports, Yusuf allegedly stabbed Awotola in the head and neck before abandoning his vehicle and fleeing the scene.

Yusuf was charged in court on April 29, 2022, for attempted murder and causing grievous bodily harm.

When the case was called, the counsel for the state, A.O Azeez, presented the sole prosecution witness in the case, while Bidemi Ademola-Bello represented the defendant before the judge gave the verdict.

Delivering the judgment on Monday, Justice Ogala held that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against Yusuf.

The judge held that the sole prosecution witness did not provide any documentary evidence or proof of a police report on the incident.

Justice Ogala stated that the prosecution had not established the necessary elements of the offences charged, leading to Yusuf’s acquittal.

“After considering the entire evidence, the prosecution failed to establish all ingredients of the offences,” she said.