Lead Counsel to Abdulazeez Adegbola aka Tani Olorun who is presently on trial for criminal defamation and other offences in two courts in Ilorin, Mr A.G. Ademola Bank has said that the team will not antagonise any move for an of-court settlement on the matter.
Tani Olorun is standing trial on five count charges of alleged criminal conspiracy, inciting public disturbance, disturbance of public peace, criminal defamation of character and intentional insult before a Kwara Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin. He is also standing trial alongside one Chief Ademola Olawoore, Oluwo Nla of Tede similar offence at the Kwara Upper Area Court sitting in Ilorin.
The offence according to the prosecution was contrary to sections 97, 210, 392, and 114 of the penal code law of Nigeria.
The duo pleaded not guilty to the offences, and while the Upper Area Court granted bail to Oluwo Nla last Wednesday, the Magistrate Court deferred ruling on his bail till Monday, September 25, 2023.
Speaking in an interview with The PUNCH correspondent in Ilorin on Saturday, Bank said that a former counsel, Mr Mufutau Olobi who appeared for Tani Olorun at the Magistrates Court when he was first arraigned was no longer in the case.
He said, “On August 17, 2023, when the case started, I was in the Magistrate Court and Barrister Olobi too was in Court, both of us announced our appearance.
“But in the last three sittings of the courts, he has not been showing up. That means he has withdrawn his appearance, why, I don’t know. There are many interest groups involved in the case of the defendant, therefore, he may be representing a particular interest group and for one reason or the other, he has not been coming to court, I don’t know whether he might have been debriefed.”
Bank also noted that Tani Olorun was facing a double trial for the same offence within the same court jurisdiction saying the court denied his client his fundamental Human rights.
Answering a question on whether the defence counsel would agree on an out-of-court settlement, Bank said that a case could be discontinued at any time and that such an agreement could be mooted by the parties involved.
“If such agreement for out-of-court settlement comes up, why won’t we agree; the court allows it. The law allows it and wisdom allows it. The law does not frown at it, the Court does not frown at it and Wisdom does not frown at it. Parties can agree to an out-of-court settlement at any time. if it comes, so be it if the situation allows it.”
He was however silent on whether the agreement for out-of-court settlement would come from the defendant saying, “It is the situation that dictates it”.
