An Igbosere High Court of Lagos State, today, dismissed a bail application filed by a housemaid, Funmilayo Adeyemi, accused of kidnapping five children from two families in Lagos state.

The court presided over by Justice Raliat Adebiyi held that the defendant provided no evidence of her alleged health challenge and that there was a likelihood she could interfere with her trial if released on bail.

The suspected kidnapper whose operational name was Mary Akinloye, 35, from Ogboya village in Ife, Osun State, was arraigned before the court on May 4, on a seven-count charge of conspiracy, and kidnapping.

The police had alleged that the defendant others at large, had on December, 2014, kidnapped two siblings, Raphael and Michael Esharegaran from their parents’ home at Gateway Estate, Magodo-Isheri, Lagos.

The defendant was also alleged to have on April 8, 2015, conniving with others at large to kidnap three children of the Orekoya family, identified as Demola, 6, Adedamola, 4, and 11 months’ old Aderomola.

It was claimed that the boys, who were abducted by Adeyemi from their parents’ home at Lawanson Road, Surulere, were reunited with their parents who parted N2.5 million ransom.

Though, the suspect denied the charges and urged the court to grant her bail in the same terms as she was granted by Mr. W. B. Balogun of an Igbosere Magistrates’ Court where she was first arraigned on September 15.

But the Lagos state government in a 12-paragraph counter-affidavit dated April 25, and filed before the court opposed the bail.

Delivering ruling on the bail application today, Justice Adebiyi upheld the prosecution’s argument that the grant of bail on health grounds was a special circumstance which required proof.

The judge held that though, the defendant had been in custody since April 15 last year, but she “tendered no evidence of her health challenge.”

The judge also added that there appeared to be overwhelming evidence for the likelihood that the defendant committed the offences.
Adding that the offences for which the defendant was charged carried a sentence of 21 years in prison and that she or her gang members might try to interfere with the trial, if she were granted bail.

Consequently, the judge refused the defendant’s application application in its entirety.http://thestreetreporters.com/?p=5565

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