Four men alleged to be involved in the killing of the late Chairman of Irewole Local Government Area in Osun State, Hon. Remi Abass, have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The defendants — Abubakar Kabiru (38), also known as Jeje; Tajudeen Opeyemi (30); Akeem Agbomojo (28); and Akintoye Olayemi (40) — all residents of Ikire and Apomu communities in Osun State, appeared before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on Wednesday.
They face a three-count charge bordering on terrorism, unlawful possession of firearms, and murder, allegedly committed on February 17, 2024, in Ikire, Osun State.
The prosecution, led by A. S. Oyeyemi on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, accused the men of conspiring to carry out acts of terrorism across parts of Osun State and of possessing three pump-action rifles without authorization.
In the amended charge numbered FHC/ABJ/CR/170/2025, the prosecution stated that the offences contravene provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act, 2004, as well as Sections 316 and 319 of the Criminal Code Act.
All four defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Counsel to the defendants, Sunday Adebayo, urged the court to grant his clients bail, insisting they were “innocent men wrongly accused due to political rivalry.” However, the prosecution opposed the application, arguing that the offences were capital in nature.
Justice Abdulmalik, in her ruling, ordered that the defendants be remanded at the Kuje Custodial Centre and adjourned the matter to December 4, 2025, for hearing.
Speaking after the court session, a lawyer holding a watching brief for the complainants, Muhydeen Adeoye, said the arraignment was “a step toward justice for the brutal killing of a dedicated public servant.”
He said, “The late Hon. Abass was a respected leader who served his people faithfully. We trust that justice will be done, no matter how long it takes.”
The murder of Abass has been linked to lingering political tensions between the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party over the control of local government councils in Osun State.
A source familiar with the case told journalists that the violence erupted shortly after the Court of Appeal reinstated APC-elected council chairmen earlier in the year.
“The reinstatement sparked clashes in several councils, and unfortunately, Hon. Abass became one of the victims of that political chaos,” the source said.
