Special Adviser to Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke on Political Matters, Muniru Raji was on Thursday arraigned before a Federal High Court in Osogbo over alleged cyber defamation of character of a former Commissioner for Local Government and Affairs in the state, Prince Adebayo Adeleke.
This is just as the Attorney General of the Federation, represented by a lawyer, Victor Alma, an Assistant Chief State Counsel, took over the case, disowning the earlier application of the State Attorney General, Wole Jimi-Bada to take over the matter.
Alma informed the court that the office of the AGF is interested in prosecuting the case against Muniru, saying the interest of the AGF has automatically arrested the earlier request of the state AG to assume prosecution.
However, before his arraignment, Muniru’s counsel, Naheem Adekilekun had pleaded to the court to shift the arraignment date of his client, as he was still sick and not fit to bear the stress of listening to the charges against him.
He argued that his client might collapse, saying, “I know your Lordship will not want him to collapse. We only forced him to appear in person today because we didn’t want to give excuse again. He is not fit yet.”
Adekilekun further pleaded to the court and the prosecuting counsel to take pity on his client by granting him another date for arraignment.
The defendant’s application fell on the deaf hear of the presiding judge, Justice Ayo Emmanuel who ruled that the defendant must be arraigned and enter his plea after the charges were read to him, as there was no evidence to show that he was truly sick.
Justice Emmanuel offer the defendant a seat beside the dock to take the plea since he was already in court.
In the three count charge, which was subsequently read in Yoruba language following Muniru’s request, he was said to have conspired with others at large to commit cyberstalking and defamation of character against Adebayo Adeleke.
The charge added that Muniru, on April 22, 2024, conspired with others at large, and alleged Adeleke of obtaining contract from the government of the former Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State and absconded with the contract sum without executing the project awarded to him through various electronics and social media platforms.
Muniru’s counsel, Adekilekun then applied for his bail, arguing that the offence was bailable, while the defendant is a public figure, as he promised that he would not abuse the bail if granted.
The prosecuting counsel on the other hand said he had just been handed the case file and he had not been able to file his objection to the bail application, saying he would leave the application for bail to the discretion of the court.
Subsequently, the presiding judge granted Muniru bail in the sum of N5 million with one surety in a like sum, adding that the surety must be a Federal or State civil servant of not less than grade level 10, with a fixed address within the jurisdiction of the court.
The case was then adjourned till July 17 for the commencement of trial.
