Court remands 67-yr-old man for standing surety

An Ejigbo, Lagos, chief magistrate court at the weekend remanded a 67-year-old man, Pius Afioye, in prison custody for his inability to produce an accused for whom he had stood as surety.

The police prosecutor, Inspector G. Simon, told the court that Afioye had stood as surety for Mr Ebenezer Isah Aina, who was arraigned in court over a criminal case.

Simon said that the surety could not produce the accused when he was asked to do so as investigators discovered that Aina had relocated his family out of Lagos.

The prosecutor did not state the crime the accused committed but mentioned he was initially detained at the Area M Command in Idimu, Lagos. But he was released from police custody when offered him.

Daily Trust learnt that when the police requested Afioye to produce the Aina for prosecution, he informed them he did not know his whereabouts after he was released from custody.

Consequently, the surety was arrested and charged before the Ejigbo magistrate’s court for perversion justice by the sexagenarian to stand surety for of failing to produce Aina as he had promised. Afioye pleaded not guilty. Simon did not oppose his bail plea and, thus, the presiding magistrate, Mr L.K.J. Layeni, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000, with two sureties in like sum. He was remanded in prison custody pending when he will perfect his bail conditions.

The matter was adjourned till August 15, 2018.