by Stanley Azuakola

An Osogbo High Court presided over by Justice Oyejide Falola dismissed three out of the four charges preferred against the Alowa of Ilowa, Oba Adebukola Alli, who is standing trial on a four-count charge of rape, kidnap, assault and abuse of human rights of a member of the National Youth Service Corps, Miss Helen Okpara.

Justice Falola dismissed the three-count charge of kidnap, assault, and abuse of human rights on the grounds that the prosecutor of the case had failed to substantiate the allegations before the court and tendered no proof to support the allegations.

The judge however left the rape charge, and ordered Oba Alli to appear before the court to defend himself on how he got the consent of the victim before making love to her.

He said that since the monarch had confessed to the court that he made love to Okpara and that both of them enjoyed it, he needed to tell the court how he secured the consent of the victim before bedding her.

Oba Alli, who was accompanied to court by his chiefs, had filed a no-case submission before the court on the last trial day of the case.

Meanwhile, the traditional ruler has condemned the suspension of 35 students of Ifelodun Grammar School, Kiloru, who were at the court during the previous trial day to protest his continuous trial.

The monarch, who spoke through his counsel, Mr Taofeek Tewogbola tongue-lashed the state Commissioner of Police, Mrs. Kalafite Adeyemi and the Director of Public Prosecution, Mr Dapo Adeniji for their alleged role in the suspension of the students.

The state government had last week through the state Ministry of Women Affairs suspended 35 students of the school owned by Ilowa community and five other towns in the area, for staging a protest within the court premises, while they were supposed to be in their various classrooms.