Court Rejects Police Bid for Extended Detention Of Osun Accord Member, Orders Suspect’s Release on Bail
A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State, has dismissed an application filed by the police seeking to detain an Accord Party member, Mr. Semiu Baruwa, beyond the constitutionally permitted 48-hour period, ordering his immediate release on bail.
The ruling, delivered on Tuesday by Chief Magistrate, Dr. O.A. Ayilara, followed growing controversy surrounding Baruwa’s arrest by operatives of the Osun State Police Command at Baruwa Area of Ogo Oluwa, Osogbo, on Saturday.
OSUN DEFENDER had earlier reported that tension erupted in the area after policemen allegedly fired sporadically while attempting to arrest Baruwa at a football field where youths were reportedly playing football. Eyewitnesses said the incident caused panic as residents scampered for safety.
Following the arrest, the Osun State Police Command, through its spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, claimed Baruwa was apprehended after being linked to a petition and a video allegedly showing him among suspected cultists brandishing weapons and vandalising billboards.
However, Baruwa, through his solicitors, Nuru Kareem & Co., denied the allegations and accused the police of publishing “false, defamatory and highly damaging” statements against him.
In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police and dated May 25, 2026, the legal team maintained that their client was not arrested in any hideout as claimed by the police, but openly at a football field on Baruwa Street, Osogbo.
The lawyers also challenged the police to produce any video linking Baruwa to cult-related activities or destruction of billboards, insisting that the allegations were false and reckless.
Meanwhile, in its ruling on the remand application, the court held that the request lacked merit and failed to disclose sufficient grounds to justify further detention of the suspect.
Chief Magistrate Ayilara noted that applications seeking remand beyond 48 hours in non-capital offences under the Administration of Criminal Justice Law (ACJL), Osun State, 2018, are not granted as a matter of course because they amount to a derogation from the constitutional right to personal liberty guaranteed under Section 35 of the Constitution.
The court stated that after examining the application and the attached case file, it found that the matter could conveniently be investigated within the constitutionally prescribed timeframe.
The magistrate further referenced an endorsement by an Assistant Commissioner of Police dated May 24, 2026, indicating that the matter had already been charged to court.
Questioning the basis of the police application, the court asked why the matter had not been formally brought before the court since it was reportedly charged.
“The pertinent question is why has the case not been charged to court since 24th May 2026 only to have this application to continue detaining the suspect?” the magistrate queried.
Consequently, the court dismissed the application and ordered the Commissioner of Police, or anyone acting on his behalf, to release Baruwa on bail to a reliable surety without delay.
The court, however, noted that the respondent could still be formally arraigned whenever the police deem it necessary.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
