An Akure Magistrate Court has remanded a 36-year-old man, Blessing Akinmade, for allegedly killing a 71-year-old farmer, Toyo Olanipekun, in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The suspect, a commercial motorcyclist, was remanded following his arraignment by police operatives in the state.
Akinmade was accused of allegedly killing and burying the deceased in a shallow at Igbobini Ese-Odo Local Government.
The suspect was accused of killing the deceased while working on his farm during a dispute between the Igbobini and Irele communities over a piece of land.
Following the development, the deceased was declared missing, after which his corpse was discovered in a shallow grave behind a primary school in the area, with the corpse having machete cuts.
After investigations were carried out, Akinmade was arrested, with the police arraigning the suspect on Tuesday before an Akure Magistrate Court sitting at Oke-Eda and charging him with two counts of conspiracy and murder.
According to the police prosecutor, Abdulateef Sulaiman, the defendant and others at large committed the offence on June 24, 2024, at about 9 am at Igbobini.
With Sulaiman praying the court to remand the defendant pending the issuance of advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, the defence counsel, Orisatimehin, sought an adjournment to enable his client to react to the application sought by the prosecution.
The magistrate, Temilola Olusola-Olujobi, however, adjourned the case until July 8, 2024, for the parties to move their applications, while he ordered the defendant remanded at any police station.