A Magistrate Court sitting in Ebute Metta, Lagos, has ordered the remand of four police officers accused of killing several traders at the Owode Onirin International Spare Parts Market.
The order was issued by Chief Magistrate (Mrs) E. Kubeinje, who directed that the officers be held at the Kirikiri Custodial Centre pending legal advice from the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
The defendants, Manu Bala, 41; Jibrin Samaila, 47; Ibrahim Garuba, 29; and Ibrahim Kashimu, 26, are facing a seven-count charge bordering on conspiracy and murder.
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| FEMI FALANA, SAN |
Addressing the court, the counsel for the police, Mr O. W. Ologun, informed the presiding Magistrate that the accused officers allegedly carried out the killings on August 27, 2025, at about 9:00 a.m. at the popular Owode Onirin International Spare Parts Market in Lagos.
According to the charge sheet filed before the court by the Commissioner of Police, the defendants, alongside others said to be at large, allegedly opened fire on traders using AK-47 rifles, resulting in multiple fatalities.
The victims named in the charge include Bamidele Dare Mufutau, Adebayo Adewale Mathew, Adeoye Taiye, Abraham Idowu Temilola, Akinboye Oluwaseyi Olamilekan, and Akeem Aderemi Adeoye.
The prosecution informed the court that the alleged offences contravene Sections 223 and 233 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.
Ologun explained that the suspects were brought before the magistrate to secure a remand order while the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions reviews the case file to determine whether a prima facie case exists against them.
After listening to the application, the court granted the request and ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Kirikiri Custodial Centre.
The matter was adjourned until April 15, 2026, for further mention.
Meanwhile, counsel to the traders and the families of the victims, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN), described the arraignment as a positive step toward accountability.
According to him, the move indicates that the Lagos State Police Command is committed to ensuring justice for the slain traders.
“The arraignment of the police officers is a pointer to the fact that the Lagos State Police Command is ready and willing to do justice to the memory of the victims who were murdered in cold blood,” Falana said.
He added that the families of the deceased remain hopeful that the judicial process will deliver justice as they await the outcome of the DPP’s legal advice.
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