Murder: Court approves private prosecutor for Lowo’s family

An Oyo State High Court yesterday granted the prayer of the family of late Lowo Oyediran request to appoint an independent prosecutor. Oyediran was allegedly stabbed to death by his wife, Yewande, on February 2. Yewande is a principal prosecution counsel with the state Ministry of Justice.

Based on this, there was fear that if the state should prosecute her case, the family would not be able to get justice since she had pleaded not guilty to the crime.
At the resumed hearing yesterday, the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Mr. Tajudeen Abdul-Ganiyu, told Justice Mukhtar Abimbola that he was withdrawing from the case following the request by the family of the deceased that government should appoint a private prosecutor.
The state then appointed Mr. Sanyaolu Akinyele as the private prosecutor for the case, while the family’s counsel, Yomi Aliu, said he had no objection to the appointment.
Bayo Adegbite, from the Justice Ministry, however, vehemently opposed the appointment of a private prosecutor, arguing that DPP was a mere office that was not known to law and the 1999 Constitution.
 http://newtelegraphonline.com/murder-court-approves-private-prosecutor-lowos-family/