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Injustice Against Humanity: Jelili Raji, Victim on Death Row, Cries Out for Justice

Published

4 months ago

November 25, 2024

Eric

By Hezekiah Olujobi

Despite the fact that the real suspect of the crime cleared his innocence during the trial, he was still sentenced to death. Even though there was no direct evidence linking him to the crime, he was still sentenced to death. Failing to investigate a credible alibi can lead to a serious miscarriage of justice, resulting in an innocent person being wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death for a crime they did not commit. This underscores the importance of thorough and impartial investigations in criminal cases, especially those involving severe penalties like the death sentence.

What is an Alibi?

An alibi is a defense used by an accused person in a criminal charge, claiming to have been at another place at the time relevant to the charge. It was established in law that in a case of murder, the burden is heavily placed on the prosecution to prove the following:

(i) That the deceased died.

(ii) That the accused person unlawfully killed the deceased.

(iii) That the death of the deceased was directly caused by the defendant.

Once the prosecution is able to prove all the existing ingredients of murder, the court will be held accountable to ground conviction.

Now, on the issue of alibi. An alibi is a defense available to a Defendant standing a criminal trial, calling the attention of the court that at the actual time the alleged offense took place, he was somewhere else. To prove an alibi, the Defendant must state:

1. Where he was.

2. With whom he was.

3. The exact time he was there.

4. The address of where he was.

5. What he went to do there.

This defense of alibi must be strongly corroborated by the person(s) with whom the Defendant had a meeting. Don’t forget, you cannot put something on nothing and expect it to stand; it will collapse. Having mentioned an alibi, it must be proved.

Most importantly, during cross-examination, the Defendant’s counsel is expected to ask questions revolving around the IPO’s investigation of the Defendant’s claim.

If from the trial, the Defense established his alibi with corroborative and compelling evidence and the court still embarked on the voyage of convicting him, the law allows the Defendant to go on appeal within 90 days.

Now, in this particular case, Jelili Raji has this to say: ‘I was arrested in my house by the DSS, Oshogbo division on 11 January 2017 on the allegation of Conspiracy and Murder which occurred on 23/12/2016. I was traced to my house through my phone number found on a taxi driver’s phone that I chartered to Eleweran, Abeokuta on 2/1/2017. At the time of the incident, I was in the police station in Eleweran, Abeokuta, Ogun State between 15 to 28 December 2016. All my pleas of innocence in this case fell on deaf ears of the Court until I was sentenced to death along with the taxi driver on 2/4/2020.

I think the defense of alibi of where he was, with whom he was, the exact time he was there, the address of where he was has been answered. The next question is ‘what he went to do there?’

According to Jelili Raji, ‘I was similarly arrested by the police in Abeokuta due to my name being found in a suspect’s phone, who was involved in fraudulent activities and had absconded with money defrauded. He was being pursued by the police, leading to the arrest of his wife. The police were also making arrests based on the contacts in his wife’s phone, which included one of her husband’s SIM cards. I was arrested by the police in Abeokuta on the night of 15th/16th December 2016. We left Oshogbo around after 12 in the night and we arrived Eleweran in the dead night. Very early in the morning on 16, I was opened out from the cell to sign a record. I was released on bail on December 28, 2016, with instructions to report back after the new year on January 2, 2017.

Now, in this particular case, the Nigeria Police becomes the witness of Jelili Raji to corroborate his evidence. The evidence remains intact. The Police Prisoner Record PPR becomes his evidence; revisiting the overlooked alibi is very important to uncover fresh information. There is no way you can lock up a suspect without recording his details, and there is no way a suspect can be released from the police cell, either on bail or release without signing out. In this case, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police should help us look for the record of Eleweran dated 16th December 2016 to confirm if Jelili Raji is telling a lie or the truth.

We have a similar case in Agodi prison in Oyo State where the Federal SARS arrested different people from different locations and accused them of armed robbery. During our separate interviews with the inmates, we realized that one was arrested in Apata on 19 December 2012, another one claimed he was arrested in Lagos at Ore Falomo in his Barbing shop on 16th April 2013, another person said he was arrested on 18th of May 2013, the other 2 persons were arrested after the said robbery. Five of them were charged for conspiracy and armed robbery. Five of them have been standing trial endlessly. Our investigation revealed that these people did not know each other. The record shows a lot of contradictions. It was the guy who was arrested in December 2012 that even suggested to us to demand the record of the police in Apata police station that we will find his name there; the one that was arrested in Lagos said if we can demand the police record on 16 April 2013 at Oyo Dubar Police Station that we will find his name there. They were all charged for the robbery incident that happened on 10 of June 2013. When a suspect is raising the police as his alibi, I think that statement should not be overlooked by the court.

It takes our intervention to secure the freedom of those people during our case presentation to the Chief Judge of Oyo State Hon Justice Muntha Abimbola, and they were released. In this particular case, the appellant raised his alibi as the police, but because of political tussle, the police in Oshogbo, Osun State refused to investigate his alibi, the judge refused to listen to his claim of alibi, his lawyer kept mute on his claim of alibi.

According to Jelili Raji, ‘The police released the rest of the people arrested in this crime and charged me and the real suspect to court based on the influence and instruction of the king of our town, the Akirun of Ikirun, Late Oba AbdulRauf Olawale Adedeji, who insisted that I must be charged along with the real suspect in this case. He came to the police station in Oshogbo to ensure that I was charged to Court. Throughout the trial, the king always attended the Court until I was sentenced to death along with Elijah on 2/4/2020. The underlying reason for my persecution was a result of my conflict with the late king of my town who viewed me as a rival in the town since 2014 and due to political ideological differences. The king used his influence to sway the court against me, attending every court appearance until I was sentenced to death along with Elijah Oyebode on 2/4/2020.

According to Jelili Raji’s case mate Elijah Oyebode, a Taxi driver who took Jelili to Eleweran on the 2nd of January 2017 shed more light on this case: ‘I took Mr. Jelili to Abeokuta Eleweran police station on chartered, on 2/1/2017 and we returned the same day.

On 8 January 2017, I saw one of my friends with the DSS officers from Oshogbo on the allegation of Murder of a passenger that I carried to my house who died overnight, which occurred on 23/12/2016. Police traced the phone number of the deceased to my friend who stole the phone in my car unknowingly. The lady died in my house mysteriously on the night of 23/12/2016. When I was arrested, the police made arrests of everyone that I had called on my phone since the day of the incident, including Mr. Jelili Raji. Mr. Jelili Raji has no knowledge of the crime he was convicted of along with me on 2/4/2020 by the Ikirun High Court of Justice. I made this known right from the police station and before the Hon Court that I met Mr. Jelili Raji on the 1st of January 2017 for the first time in my life.

On 2/1/2017 I carried him to Eleweran. In the conspiracy, the lawyer kept mute. Our investigation to the Akure Court of Appeal to know the stages of the case shows his appeal is yet to be mentioned. Contact with his wife shows the agony the family is going through. Quite unfortunately, the king who orchestrated his misfortune has died.

Unfortunately, many Nigerian police officers do not inquire about or investigate a suspect’s alibi to secure a conviction. Few lawyers take the initiative to investigate their clients’ claims of innocence, let alone dedicate time to investigate their alibis. In capital offenses, many inmates are sentenced to death due to the deliberate efforts of the police to keep the victim in the dark. Not many lawyers take the time to investigate their clients’ alibis, and not many police officers ask suspects about their whereabouts at specific times for fear of jeopardizing their cases.

Where injustice seems to have prevailed despite the presence of a credible alibi as in this case. In situations where individuals are wrongfully convicted and sentenced to severe penalties like death, it is crucial that thorough and impartial investigations are conducted.

When you become aware of injustice or hear someone crying out for justice in your community, what concrete steps do you take to address the injustice? When justice confronts injustice, the unjust are thrown into panic.

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Sanusi Lamido Remains Emir, Kano Govt Insists, Says Appeal Court Can’t Contradict Itself

Published

9 hours ago

March 15, 2025

Eric

Kano State Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Haruna Isa Dederi, has insisted that the ruling of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, on the lingering emirship tussle has not invalidated the reinstatement of Muhammadu Sanusi II as the 16th Emir.

Besides, Dederi declared that having passed a landmark verdict on January 10, 2025, reaffirming the power of the Kano State Government to reappoint Sanusi, it is impossible for the Court of Appeal to set aside or quash its own decision on the same matter.

The Attorney General made this position known to journalists while reacting to Friday’s ruling of the Appellate Court on the application for a stay of execution filed by Alh. Aminu Baba DanAgundi, one of the kingmakers loyal to the 15th Emir of Kano, Alh. Aminu Ado Bayero, pending the determination of the appeal at the Supreme Court.

According to Dederi, the matter is functus officio, adding that only the Supreme Court has the power to set aside the decision of the Appeal Court handed down by Justice Mohammad Mustapha on January 10, 2025.

“The Appeal Court today, after hearing their application for a stay of execution, ruled that the status quo should rather be maintained as it is now until after the judgment of the Supreme Court. They have filed an appeal at the Supreme Court.

“It doesn’t mean that the judgment delivered on January 10, 2025, has been quashed. That judgment is still standing, still in place, and subsisting. The Court of Appeal cannot reverse its own decision. It is not possible. Only the Supreme Court has the power to set aside the judgment given by a lower court.

“So, the Court of Appeal, Abuja, today has just said that execution of the judgment has been stayed pending the outcome of the appeal, which has been filed at the Supreme Court by Aminu Baba DanAgundi on behalf of Bayero,” Dederi noted.

It would be recalled that on January 10, 2025, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, led by Justice Mustapha, set aside the judgment of Justice A. Liman of the Federal High Court, Kano, which nullified the steps and actions taken by the Kano State Government pursuant to the Kano State Emirate Council (Repeal) Law 2024, including the appointment of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi as the 16th Emir of Kano.

The Appellate Court also dismissed the decision of the Federal High Court judge to hear the matter relating to the emirate council, ruling that the Federal High Court lacked the jurisdiction to do so. This decision upheld the removal of Bayero as the 15th Emir.

Dissatisfied with the verdict of Justice Mustapha’s panel, DanAgundi proceeded to the Supreme Court to seek the overturning of the lower court’s verdict. He also filed a motion for a stay of execution of Justice Mustapha’s judgment pending the hearing and determination of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the matter.

The application was also moved on the grounds that the applicant initially instituted the suit in Kano to protect his fundamental rights and argued that the trial court lacked jurisdiction to hear and determine the suit.

In a unanimous ruling, the three-member panel of Justices led by Justice Abang on Friday held that the application was meritorious and deserving of the court’s discretion in the interest of justice.

“The law is settled. The court is enjoined to exercise its discretion judiciously and in the interest of justice,” Justice Abang said

Justice Abang held that the mandatory injunction ordered that the status quo ante bellum be maintained by the sheriff of this court and the trial court as it was before the trial court’s decision on 13/6/2024 in Suit No. FHC/KN/CS/182/2024.

In granting the injunction, Justice Abang emphasised that the applicant’s process was competent and had met all the necessary legal conditions required to obtain the relief sought.

He noted that a valid appeal was already pending before the Supreme Court, reinforcing the need to preserve the subject matter of the litigation.

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Obi Employs Sarcasm, Mocks Tinubu on Prevailing Hardship

Published

1 day ago

March 14, 2025

Eric

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu, sarcastically praising him for fulfilling his promise to continue where former President Muhammadu Buhari left off.

Speaking during a visit to Governor Bala Mohammed in Bauchi on Thursday, Obi criticized the current administration’s handling of the economy, stating that Nigeria must now move beyond ethnic and religious politics to focus on competence and capacity.

“Tinubu promised to continue where Buhari stopped. If you look at it, Buhari left the dollar at about N400, today it is about N1,500. Rice was about N40,000, it is now over N100,000. Fuel was about N300, it is now over N1,000. I can go on and on—everything has doubled and tripled. So, he has done exactly as he promised,” Obi remarked.

Obi contrasted Nigeria’s economic performance with that of Indonesia, citing how their government transformed the country’s economy over the past decade.

“In Indonesia, a president was sworn in about the same time as another one in Nigeria. Ten years later, Indonesia moved their GDP from $800 billion to $1.3 trillion, and their per capita income from $3,000 to $5,000.

Here in Nigeria, our GDP fell from $500 billion to $200 billion, and per capita income dropped from $3,500 to below $2,000—that is the difference,” he explained.

He further emphasized the need to revive Nigeria’s industries, invest in education and healthcare, and steer the nation towards productive governance.

Obi stated that his meeting with Governor Bala Mohammed was part of a broader discussion on addressing the country’s challenges.

“We have just started discussions. You can’t consummate a marriage in one day. But the most important thing is that our thoughts are centered on issues that affect the ordinary Nigerian.

We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can become somebody. We will eliminate the elite conspiracy that uses tribalism and religion to divide the people. We have voted for tribe and religion before; now, we must vote for competence and capacity,” Obi declared.

Governor Bala Mohammed affirmed that their collaboration transcends party lines, religious affiliations, and geopolitical interests for the betterment of Nigeria.

“Our collaboration is beyond party, religion, and personal interests. The government in power thrives on division, but we will use knowledge, strategy, and unity to build a better Nigeria,” the governor stated.

Obi’s visit signals a growing political alliance among opposition figures, with a focus on economic recovery, national unity, and leadership accountability ahead of future elections.

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Fubara Bows to Pressure, Invites Pro-Wike awmakers to Peace Meeting

Published

5 days ago

March 10, 2025

Eric

Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara has extended an olive branch to lawmakers loyal to his rival, Nyesome Wike.

The governor invited the Amaewhule-led House of Assembly members to a peace meeting, following the Supreme Court’s judgement on the state’s political unrest.

The invitation was made through a letter from Dr. Tammy Danagogo, Secretary to the State Government, to Speaker Martins Amaewhule.

The meeting is scheduled for Monday at 10 am at the Government House in Port Harcourt.

The agenda includes addressing lingering issues, presenting the 2025 state budget, and discussing payment of lawmakers’ allowances.

The letter read: “I hereby write in furtherance of His Excellency’s promise stated in my letter dated 5th March 2025 to notify you that His Excellency has received the Supreme Court Judgment, and has therefore directed me to invite you and your colleagues -the Honourable members of Rivers State House of Assembly, to a meeting to discuss:-

“Provision of a befitting space for the Assembly’s sittings. Payment of all outstanding remuneration or allowances of the Honourable members. Presentation of Budget and sundry matters;

“Any other matter(s), as may be necessary, to chart the way forward in the best interest of the State. Sequel to the above, I hereby humbly invite the Rt. Hon. Speaker, and all the Rivers State House of Assembly members to a meeting with the Governor as follows.”