Court approves withdrawal of charges against Gbadamosi, others

Adegboruwa seeks state pardon for Akindele, others

A magistrate Court sitting in Ogba, Lagos State, has approved withdrawal of charges filed against Azeez Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley; former Lagos governorship candidate under the platform of Action Democratic Party (ADP), Mr. Babatunde Gbadamosi and his wife, Folashade, for flouting the Coronavirus social distancing directives.

Chief Magistrate Yewande Aje-Afunwa made the order yesterday after the submission of Lagos State Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yhaqub Gbadebo Oshoala, that Gbadamosi, his wife and Marley had accepted and complied with the state’s conditions for the withdrawal.

Oshoala told the court that the defendants had met the conditions given by the governor, saying: “The three defendants have written a letter of apology and an undertaking to comply with the conditions set by the state.”

However, while ruling on the application to withdraw the charges orally made by the DPP on behalf of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Moyosore Onigbanjo (SAN), Magistrate Yewande Aje-Afunwa held that pursuant to the fact that the defendants have complied to obey the law, the unchallenged application of withdrawal of charges against Afeez Fashola, Babatunde Gbadamosi and Folashade Gbadamosi are hereby granted and the three defendants discharged.

In another development, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, has urged the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to grant state pardon to popular actress and Nollywood icon, Mrs. Funke Akindele-Bello.

Adegboruwa, while speaking with journalists in court yesterday at Ogba after the proceedings that terminated the charges brought against Gbadamosi and others, said that since the state said it was not out to persecute citizens, the Akindeles should be granted reprieve, more so that they had demonstrated remorse for their conduct.

He stated that since the Federal Government is granting amnesty to 2,600 prisoners, the governor should emulate this good gesture and show fatherly love to the Akindeles, adding: “This should also be extended to all those arrested for jogging on the streets, as they could not have all set out deliberately to disobey the COVID 19 regulation.”