An Ado-Ekiti Magistrates’ Court has ordered the remand of two farmers in a custodial centre for the alleged murder of a guard at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Mathew Maleek, on his farm.
The police prosecutor, Mr Caleb Leranmo, told the court that the defendants, Akomolafe Ayodeji, 38, and Temitope Alabi, 28, allegedly committed the offence on October 9 at Oye Ekiti, in the Oye council area of Ekiti State.
Leramo said, “The defendants on the said date unlawfully killed one Mathew Maleek, 62, who was a guard at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, while working on his farm.
“The defendants had earlier had a disagreement with the deceased two days before his death over unlawfully felling of trees on his farm. He was found dead on the third day on his farm.
“The offence is punishable under sections 324 and 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap. C 16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.”
The prosecutor said he had forwarded the case file to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.
Counsel for the defendants, Mr Yinka Opaleke, who had earlier sought a date of adjournment pending the outcome of the advice from the DPP, urged the court to pick an early date to hear the matter.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Abdulhamid Lawal, ordered that the defendants be remanded till the outcome of the legal advice.
Lawal adjourned the case till December 19 for further hearing