Miscarriage of Justice: Osun Attorney General Fingered In Alleged Sentencing Of Innocent Citizens

The Osun state attorney general and commissioner for justice Ajibola Bashiru (Ph.d) has been accused and dragged before the National Judicial Service Commissioning for allegedly using his office to negotiate jail terms for some citizens of the state.

In a petition titled "CONSPIRACY BY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL AND OSUN STATE JUDICIARY TO SENTENCE INNOCENT CITIZENS TO PRISON FOR A NONE EXISTENT OFFENCE" ,the petitioner S.O Popoola Esq. who is the counsel to one Florence Adebiyi, Iyabo Sorinolu and Jolayemi Thomas accused Ajibola Basiru of conniving with the trial judge to sentence his clients to prison on a non-existent offence.

Popoola in the petition dated the 24th of April 2018 explained that "Florence Adebiyi sold her landed property to one Alhaja Toyin Alaran who was acting as an agent of Adesola Jemilat Busari who was alleged to be residing in the U.K for a sum of Ten million Naira which was paid by Toyin Alaran through her bank account instalmentally between January and September 2012."

The house was later discovered to have been bought by Toyin Alaran herself and not as an agent for Jemilat Busari.

This act infuriated Florence Adebiyi who got angry that her tenant for 30 years (Toyin Alaran) bought her property by pretense and had to refund the Ten million Naira back to Toyin's account.

Upon receiving the returned fund, Toyin Alaran according to the petition made effect of the arrest of Mrs Florence Adebiyi and two others and were charged for obtaining property by pretense.

After several petitions written to the state chief Judge to secure the bail of his clients, Popoola, Osun state attorney general according to the petition took over the case personally and saw to the conviction of the three accused of obtaining by false pretence, with the inability of Alhaja Toyin Alaran to establish the authenticity of Jemilat Busari been the real buyer of the house. Popoola alleged further that the said Jemilat Busari is just a fictitious name raised to effect the purchase of Mrs Adebiyi's property.

Condemning the conviction of his clients to one calendar year imprisonment each on account of conspiracy and obtaining property under false pretence, S.O Popoola described the judgement as wicked.

"What a wicked judgement being delivered by the High court of Osun state? What a wicked and corrupt judgement. Two of our clients are over 70 years of age.Florence Adebiyi and her daughter were sentenced for obtaining their own property under false pretence. One does not need to be a lawyer to know that no crime has been committed by any of our clients but this is a care of judicial and executive recklessness both by the Attorney General and the trial judge respectively."

The petition urged the National Judicial Service Commission to investigate the petition and take necessary step to rectify the situation.