The Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development (The Pro Bono Centre), a non-profit organisation that champions justice, equity and sustainable development, has secured the release of two suspects, Jimmy Badmus and Ifeanyi Nanim, who had been in detention in the Correctional centre since 2018.
According to a statement made available to Vanguard Correspondent in Ilorin by the Executive Director of the foundation, Barrister Yusuf Nurudeen, it stated that Justice M. I. Sule of the Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan, on January 30, 2025, acquitted the accused persons of all charges against them and ordered their release.
Nurudeen disclosed in the statement that Badmus and Nanim were arrested on January 21, 2018, during a raid by the now-disbanded Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) in Apata area of Ibadan, and were subsequently charged to court.
“The prosecution had arraigned them on four counts, including conspiracy to commit armed robbery and armed robbery, under Sections 6(b), 1(2)(a), and (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, Cap. R11, Vol. 14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“However, the case suffered a prolonged delay until our organisation, the Foundation for Public Interest Law and Development, took up the matter free of charge and represented the defendants in court,” he explained.
Nurudeen, who led the Defense team in court, said after studying the case, they opted to rest their case on the prosecution’s evidence, noting that this move ultimately proved pivotal in securing the release of the accused persons.
The legal counsel noted that the court discovered that cross-examination by the defense team weakened the TV prosecution’s case, creating reasonable doubt regarding the defendants’ involvement in the alleged crime.
In delivering his judgment, Justice Sule noted that the defense had successfully dismantled the prosecution’s case, establishing that even if the offense had occurred, the prosecution failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused persons were responsible.
The judge, thereafter, dismissed the charge brought by the prosecution and ordered the release of the two defendants.
Speaking on the court ruling, Nurudeen described the verdict as a victory for justice and due process, stressing that had they been convicted, Badmus and Nanim would have faced death penalty, as stipulated under Section 3 of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, which mandates execution by hanging or firing squad.
“This case underscores the critical role of pro bono legal services in safeguarding fundamental rights and preventing miscarriages of justice. Our organisation, the Pro Bono Centre is committed to providing free legal representation to indigent and vulnerable persons, who may otherwise suffer wrongful convictions due to systemic failures in the criminal justice system,” he added.
(Vanguard)