Journalists held hostage in Osun court

Some journalists were held hostage in the premises of the Federal High Court in Osogbo, Osun State, on Tuesday, as the court heard applications for and against the bail of a member of Osun Park Management System, Olalekan Oyeyemi.

Oyeyemi, popularly known as ‘Emir’, has been on trial on a 10-count that include conspiracy, malicious damage, unlawful killing and acts of terrorism.

He had pleaded not guilty, while his counsel, Edmund Biriomoni, filed a formal bail application for his release.

The prosecutor in charge of the matter, Rabiu Usman from the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Abuja, however, opposed the bail application at last Thursday proceedings, making the court adjourn the matter till Tuesday for hearing on the applications and subsequently remanded the defendant.

At the resumed hearing of the matter, defence counsel, Biriomoni, informed the court of his decision to withdraw a bail application filed on February 7, 2024, and drew attention to another application for bail he filed on March 13, 2024.

In moving application for bail on behalf of his client, Biriomoni, he urged the court to admit Oyeyemi to bail, pending the hearing and determination of the charge pressed against him.

But Mr Francis Osei, who held brief for the prosecutor, Usman, opposed the application, saying the prosecution had filed a counter application, asking the court not to consider the defendant’s plea for bail.

In his ruling, Justice N. Ayo-Emmanuel, reserved the ruling on the applications, saying the date of the next sitting would be communicated to the parties in the matter.

Meanwhile, suspected hoodlums, who had thronged the court in large numbers held some journalists covering the matter hostage within the court premises after the presiding judge had adjourned the matter.

The hoodlums, who identified some of the journalists while the court was in session, threatened to attack them after the proceedings.

The journalists involved could not leave the premises for about 40 minutes after adjournment, until some police operatives deployed to the premises escorted them out of the court, as the suspected hoodlums, who converged under a tree outside the court, were ordered to vacate the area by a female police operative.