On Monday, an Ogun State Magistrates’ Court in Abeokuta freed one of four teens accused of killing and burning the head of one of them for money rituals.
Balogun Mustakeem, Majekodunmi Soliudeen, Abdulgafa Lukman, and Wariz Oladeinde, the teenagers, were previously arraigned and remanded at the Oba Correctional Centre in the state’s Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area for the murder of one Sofiat Oke-Owo.
They were arrested on January 28, 2022 at Oke-Aregba, Kugba, Abeokuta, after allegedly killing and severing Oke-Owo’s head. Majekodunmi’s girlfriend was reported to be the victim.
On the basis of legal advice from the state Director of Public Prosecutions, Chief Magistrate I. O. Abudu released 17-year-old Oladeinde.
According to the chief magistrate, no charge was recorded against Oladeinde in the legal advice.
Abudu said he based his judgment on the investigation by the police, which proved Oladeinde’s innocence.
The prosecution had alleged that the four teenagers conspired to kill Oke-Owo.
The magistrate had remanded the teenagers in the correctional centre since February 3, pending the legal advice from the DPP.
Further hearing of the charges against the three remaining teenagers was adjourned till April 22.