The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has revealed the reason behind the continuous detention of Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, aka Baba Ijesha.
Odumosu said the continuous detention of Baba Ijesha is based on legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions in the state Ministry of Justice, adding that the actor would not be released until the Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria called off its nationwide strike and the courts resumed so that he could be arraigned.
The CP stated these while reacting to Wednesday’s protest led by Baba Ijesha’s colleague, Yomi Fabiyi at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba, to demand his release on bail.
Odumosu said, “When they got the SCIID today (Wednesday), they were advised by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the SCIID, and he told them that we have done our work and sought legal advice from the Ministry of Justice and the advice was that we should still keep him in our custody.
“When we concluded our investigation, we forwarded our report to the ministry for legal advice. The ministry advised us through the Office of the Public Defender. The legal advice was that there was a prima facie case established against him and some sections of the law were quoted in the advice. So, the advice was that he should still remain in our custody and to be charged for that.”
The CP said, “Regarding the JUSUN strike, they agreed to be working for three days and striking for two days. They will go on strike on Monday and Tuesday, while the courts will sit on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.
“It was our hope that they would work on Wednesday, but coincidentally, Wednesday and Thursday are public holidays. But if the courts continue to remain shut, the Ministry of Justice may further review the report. But right now, we are relying on the advice of the ministry.”