by Rachel Ogbu

An investigating police officer, Corporal Alagbe Olumide has admitted in court that he was forced to arraign a murder suspect, Ayodimeji Alegbeleye, for the crime he never committed.

The Ebute Meta Magistrate’s Court, Lagos was tensed as magistrate, M.O Tanimola, summoned the police to give an account of what led to the arrest.

Olumide then told the court that he was told to arraign the accused, adding that the investigation had shown that he was only a friend to the real suspect.

“My Lord, it was his friend that stabbed the deceased. The real offender is now at large,” he said.

“Alegbeleye was arraigned because we found him at the scene of the crime.”

“The junior brother of the suspect had earlier been arrested, but the Ajah Police Division released him.”

“The police authorities said I should charge him with murder. I told them that my investigation showed he was not part of it, but they insisted that I should charge him, and I didn’t know what to do,” he said.

According to reports, Olumide said statements taken from the accused showed he had returned from his work and met the two men arguing over matters connected with cultism.

He said he then went out to take his bath and on returning, found the deceased in a pool of blood and with knife wounds. He said the police arrested him because he was a friend of the suspect.

[READ: Fraud: Police arrest Wizkid, Banky W impersonator ]

The Punch reports:

Alegbeleye, 29, was being tried for the murder of one James Igbahan in January 2013 at Ajah.

The police had claimed that the accused stabbed Igbahan with knife in his left ribs which led to his death.

After the two counts were read to him, and he had pleaded not guilty, the prosecution lawyer filed application for his remand in prison custody pending the advice from the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

However, the defence counsel protested the application, saying the accused knew nothing about the crime.

The magistrate, in her ruling said since the accused was being punished for a crime he did not commit, there were no grounds for remand.

The case was subsequently struck out.