NLC Strike Stalls Ruling On Tani Olohun’s Bail Application

The nationwide strike embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, which commenced on Tuesday, has stalled the ruling on the bail application of Isese activist, Abdulazeez Adegbola, also known as Tani Olohun at a Kwara Chief Magistrates Court sitting in Ilorin, the state capital.

Tani Olohun, who was slammed with three fresh defamation charges by another Islamic cleric, Alfa Labeeb Lagbaji, on October 24, 2023, had filed an application for bail before the Court through his counsel, Mr. Ademola Bank.

His case was expected to be determined on Tuesday by the Court, while another case was filed against him by another Islamic group known as Modrasatu Mohammed, for alleged burning of the Holy Quran in the same Court and could not proceed.

Tani Olohun was facing three fresh allegations of alleged threats to the peace of the community, criminal defamation, and blackmail against an Islamic cleric, Alfa Labeeb Lagbaji.

In the suit filed by a counsel, Mr Taofiq Olateju, on behalf of Alfa Labeeb, Tani Olohun was alleged to have used social media, Facebook and YouTube, to blackmail the cleric among the people of Kwara State, Nigeria, and the International Community.

Olateju, who described his client, Alfa Labeeb, as an international Islamic cleric who was very popular worldwide, alleged that Tani Olohun explored social media to blackmail and defame him.

He alleged that Tani Olohun, in social media, especially Facebook and YouTube channels, published that Alfa Labeeb took advantage of a mentally derailed woman brought to him for healing in an uncompleted building and had carnal knowledge of her.

Tani Olohun had pleaded not guilty to the alleged defamation charges.

Though Tani Olohun was not brought to court on Tuesday, the bail application was presented and argued by his counsel on his behalf and would have been determined but for the strike that the court workers joined while the case was going on at the court.

When the case came up in court on Tuesday, Tani Olohun’s counsel prayed the court to grant bail to him, arguing that he would not run away, would be present in court whenever he was needed, and was ready to provide a reliable surety to stand for him in court.

Bank said that the counsel for the complainant could not oppose the bail application because both counsels had commenced discussions for an out-of-court settlement on the case

However, Olateju, who is the counsel to Lagbaji, said that he had not received any instructions from his client on the out-of-court settlement, adding that whether he opposed the bail application or not, the defendant is not a resident and has no known address within the jurisdiction of the court.

He said that granting bail to the defendant was at the discretion of the court and could only be determined by the court.

The presiding judge, Mr Mohammed Adam, then fixed the ruling on the bail application until Thursday, November 16, 2023, while the other case on the alleged burning of the Quran was also fixed for hearing on the same date.

The judge ordered that proper arrangements should be made to ensure that Tani Olohun would be physically present at the court on Thursday, November 16, 2023.