Yewande Oyediran

Yewande Oyediran, the Ibadan lawyer facing trial for killing her husband, Adelowo Ajanaku Oyediran will be shielded from the gallery during her trial, lawyers appearing for both prosecutor, the defence and the Oyediran family agreed today.

The woman who has appeared in court covering her face, will now only show it to the trial judge and the prosecuting counsel, during proceedings.

The development followed a motion moved by Chief Aliyu, counsel to the family of the deceased who read a note written by a member of the family doubting the true identity of the suspect. Aliyu said Oyelowo Oyediran’s  family demanded the removal of the cloth being used by the suspect to cover her face during trial to ascertain her identity.

When asked to react, Oyo State Director of Public Prosecution, who is also the State Counsel, Mr. Tajudeen Abdulganiy disagreed with the counsel to the family saying the suspect was only responsible to the court and not the people at the gallery.

Oyelowo Oyediran Ajanaku: before he was killed by his wife, Yewande

This view was supported by counsel to Yewande, Prince Bioye Ashanike who urged the court to dismiss the motion.

The trial Judge, Justice Mukhtar Abimbola then told counsel to the family of the deceased to identify the suspect, which he did.

Justice Abimbola then over ruled the objection and advised all parties in the case to control their motion for the law take its course.

Chief Aliyu also appealed to the court for a private prosecutor, but the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, who acknowledged the receipt of the application at the State Ministry of Justice said its decision would be made known at the next adjournment.

Aside this, another obstacle to the commencement of the trial on Wednesday was an application filed by defence counsel, Prince Bioye Ashanike challenging the competence of the charges against the suspect.

The trial judge therefore gave both prosecuting and defence counsel seven days each to file and respond to the application.

The court then adjourned till 18 April to know the stand of Oyo State Ministry of Justice on private prosecution and argument on defence counsel’s application.

*With reports by Radio Nigeria Ibadan