Asiwaju Kunle Kalejaye, SAN
Asiwaju Kunle Kalejaye, SAN, fondly known as KK has waded into the controversial cyber stalking case brought against four journalists by the Inspector General of Police in the Federal High Court of Lagos.
The police have accused the journalists, Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami of conspiracy, cyberstalking, and publishing false allegations against GTCO, the parent company of Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Segun Agbaje through their media platforms.
The police averred that the said publication is injurious to national economy.
However, In defense of the four journalists, Kalejaye, SAN and two other Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Olalekan Ojo, SAN, and Kunle Adegoke, SAN, have newly come on board to bolster the defense counsels of the journalists.
The three SANs who were present at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi last Wednesday were accompanied by nine other legal representatives, including Barristers Olakunle Afolabi, Adebisi Adeniyi and D.D Owoeye as the trial progresses.
In his ruling last Wednesday, Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court denied bail application for the four defendants in case number FHC/L/774C/2024 as he ordered that the trial should continue in earnest.
Defense counsel Afolabi had argued for bail on liberal terms pending arraignment, asserting that the alleged offenses are bailable.
Justice Faji however based his decision to reject the bail on affidavits filed by both the defense counsel and counter affidavits from the prosecution team noting that the lead accused, Precious Eze is a serial libeler.
The four journalists have been held at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre since September following their arrests by the Special Fraud Unit (SFU) of the police.
During cross-examination by Olalekan Ojo, SAN, in the ongoing trial-within-trial, police witness Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Abu Michael admitted that the video evidence presented does not capture any instance where the defendants waived their rights to legal representation before providing statements.
The defendants maintain they were coerced into giving statements despite informing the police that their lawyers were en route.
Justice Faji has requested evidence in the trial-within-trial to substantiate the police’s claim that the defendants voluntarily provided their statements. CSP Abu also indicated that the video recordings submitted as evidence were for the first and second defendants, while those for the third and fourth defendants were lost due to technical issues.
Abu noted that although the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), ASP Yaqob Sule, conducted the questioning, he monitored the proceedings from a separate room.
On Thursday, the prosecution team, led by Aribisala SAN, called ASP Yaqob Sule as the final witness in the trial-within-trial.
Sule testified that the defendants voluntarily wrote their statements while in police custody.
Meanwhile, Justice Ayokunle Faji of the Federal High Court 2, Lagos has deferred till December 10 and 12, 2024, further hearing on the matter.
