A Magistrate Court in Ilorin on Wednesday granted bail to Kwara State Correspondent for Vanguard Newspaper, Mr. Demola Akinyemi, in a case involving allegations of criminal conspiracy, defamation, and falsehood.
These charges were brought against him by an Ilorin-based trader, Alhaja Mariam Babatunde Arolahun.
Arolahun, who trades in the popular Oja-Tutun market in Ilorin, filed a petition through her lawyer, accusing Akinyemi of “criminal conspiracy, defamation, and falsehood.”
The charges stem from an online publication in Vanguard titled “Kwara Market Women Threaten to Protest Naked Over Colleague’s Mysterious Death,” which was published on January 30th, 2024.
The publication called attention to a dispute between Arolahun and another trader, Medinat, over a shop allocated by the Ilorin West Local Government.
Following this altercation, Medinat passed away, leading to the controversial publication and subsequent police petition by Arolahun.
Akinyemi was invited by the police on May 7, 2024, and was arraigned in court the following day.
During the proceedings, the prosecution counsel, Corporal Abdulraheem Musa, urged the court to deny Akinyemi bail, arguing that the investigation was ongoing and that the defendant could potentially abscond if granted bail.
Musa requested that if bail were to be granted, it should be under stringent conditions.
However, Akinyemi’s legal team, led by A.C. Okafor and H.A. Musa, countered that the offences were minor and that bail should be granted at the court’s discretion.
They argued that denying bail would amount to pre-trial punishment, stressing that the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.
Okafor added that the police’s First Information Report (FIR) was “mere information,” reinforcing the principle that Akinyemi should not be detained unjustly.
After hearing both sides, the presiding magistrate, Balkis Baraje, granted Akinyemi bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties of similar value, one of whom must be a close relative of the defendant.
The case was adjourned until May 20, 2024, for the commencement of hearings.