Lagos State government withdraws murder case against Yoruba Nation protester Tajudeen Bakare

LAGOS State government withdrawn the murder case against Yoruba Nation protester Tajudeen Bakare over the death of 14 year old Jumoke Oyeleke was killed by a stray bullet during a demonstration at Ojota on July 3.

On the day in question, Yoruba Nation demonstrators turned out in their thousands to protest the murderous activities of Fulani cattle herdsmen and demand the creation of an Oduduwa Republic. During the course of the protest, Jumoke Oyeleke was killed by a stray bullet and as a result, Mr Bakare was slapped with two charges of  murder and unlawful possession of arms before a Yaba chief magistrate’s court.

Popularly referred to as Oba Ogboni, Mr Bakare was alleged to have fired the shot that killed Jumoke, the sachet water seller. In total, 48 protesters who were arrested on the same day and charged with various offences before the Yaba court by the Lagos State police commissioner Hakeem Odumosu.

However, yesterday, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide spokesman Maxwell Adeleye, said Mr Bakare has now been released alongside all the others. All the other protesters have been released on bail although the charges have not yet been officially dropped.

He added: “Lagos State government withdraw murder charges against detained Yoruba Nation protester, Tajudeen Bakare, known as Oba Ogboni, who has been released from custody. The magistrate court could not hear the case and it was referred the high court.

"The Court refers Bakare’s case to the director of public prosecutor for further advice and because there was no evidence, the case was withdrawn by the state government. He was also released because of the bail already granted to the 48 protesters by Magistrate Court.”

Ifeoluwa, Jumoke's mother had claimed that police killed her daughter and demanded justice. During a visit to her parents’ house, she told the media that the police threatened to shoot her when she demanded her daughter’s corpse.

“I was not at home when the incident happened. I went to work in Ikeja and was called to start coming home but when I got home, I was told that the bullets shot by the police had killed my daughter.

“We immediately went to Area H Police Command in Ogudu and they started threatening us that if we stayed long at their entrance, they would shoot us. It was when they saw that we would not retreat that they invited my brothers inside.

“I want the police to release the corpse for burial because we don’t know where they dropped her. The police should speak the truth because she was killed by a bullet. The police lied that it was an abandoned corpse.

“Jumoke is my first child and she was a very healthy and good child, a very hard-working girl that won’t complain if you asked her to do anything. She said she wanted to save money from the job she was doing so she could own her shop and become a better person in life but that dream has been cut short now.

“I want the state government to fight for me and render whatever help they can to me. It has not been easy since yesterday, it has affected me in every way because she’s the one helping to cater for her siblings,” Ifeoluwa added.