Emmanuel Thomas l Tuesday, August 29, 2017
IKEJA, Lagos, Nigeria – The deposed Baale of Shangisha, Chief Mutiu Micheal Ogundare today told an Ikeja High Court that he has not been able to perfect his bail condition because all Level 17 officers in the Lagos State Public service and traditional rulers in the state have deserted him and are unwilling to sign his bail bond.
Ogundare was addresssing vacation judge, Justice Hakeem Oshodi, through his counsel, Chief H. N. Ogirien said.
“My Lord we are unable to secure a level 17 officer of the Lagos State Civil Service. No one is willing to come forward and stand as surety. We also have difficulty getting a traditional ruler to stand as surety. We are simply asking the court to review the bail conditions such that the defendant can easily perfect the bail conditions.
“This situation is peculiar because a man and his wife are both incarcerated. They have young children who are dependent on them. They have children of nursery, primary and secondary ages who are solely dependent on them. They have nobody taking care if them,” he said.
Ogundare had approached the court to vary his bail since he is unable to get people to perfect bail. Ruling on the matter, Justice Hakeem Oshodi dismissed the application.
Chief Ogundare’s journey to prison began when the Lagos State Government had him arrested and deposed him before he and his alleged accomplices were dragged before an Ogba Chief Magistrate Court for allegedly staging his own kidnap.
Justice Oshodi however inquired why the application was not taken to the lower court where the bail was granted.
“He is a traditional ruler so I am wondering why none of his fellow traditional rulers can stand for him. Are you saying that there is no traditional ruler within jurisdiction that can stand for him,” the judge inquired. The Ogba Magistrate Court where the defendants were arraigned had granted N2 million bail to each of them, with two sureties in the like sum.
According to the court, the sureties must include a traditional ruler, a person with registered property in Lagos, must be a tax payer and a grade level 17 officer in the LagosSstate public service
