Ogun businessman challenges dropped charges against attackers

An Ogun State businessman, Ashiru Azeez, has written to the state Attorney-General, Oluwasina Ogungbade. He is asking for a review of the legal advice from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions about a case involving assault, theft, and other crimes.

Azeez, through his lawyer, Ayodeji Ifonlaja, submitted this request in a letter sent to PUNCH Metro on Wednesday.

This letter, dated July 31, 2026, came after an earlier one sent to the Ministry of Justice on April 16, 2026, according to the lawyer.

Ifonlaja claims that the DPP’s legal advice from February 24, 2026, found that Azeez and other victims were violently attacked. They were physically assaulted and robbed by suspects armed with cutlasses, sticks, and other dangerous weapons. Yet, many of the charges initially suggested by the police were dropped.

The lawyer said the charges brought against the suspects mainly focused on assault-related offences. He believes this does not fully capture the seriousness of what happened.

“Our petition showed, with clear references to the police case file and the DPP’s findings, that the legal advice confirmed that the victims were violently confronted by the suspects. They were physically attacked, robbed of money and valuables, and the assailants used cutlasses, sticks, and other dangerous items,” Ifonlaja stated.

He added that the police had first filed about nine counts against the defendants based on their investigation.

“However, after the DPP’s legal advice was given, several serious charges were removed, leaving mostly assault-related claims that carry much lighter penalties,” the lawyer explained.

Sharing his experience, Azeez said he arrived at Odugboro GRA Extension, Makun, Sagamu, for a family meeting and found family members sitting on the floor.

He got involved after a call from the then Commissioner of Police, Alamutu, mentioning that blood was everywhere after the attack.

Azeez said one of his stolen phones was returned, while the other was tracked to the Lekki area of Lagos State.

He mentioned that about eight members of the alleged gang were arrested thanks to the family’s efforts, but only one was taken to court.

“Only one suspect was arraigned out of the eight arrested. The one taken to court was a personal arrest because the police said the others jumped bail,” he explained.

Azeez said the family later wrote to the DPP to take over the case, but they were approached by people trying to negotiate a withdrawal of the case.

“Unfortunately, we discovered that the case file got stuck somewhere in the State Ministry of Justice. It was even more worrying when these boys were boasting in town that the case had been buried,” he alleged.

He met with the Attorney-General and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Legal Matters, after which efforts were made to find the missing case file.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro on Wednesday, Ifonlaja said the missing case file has made his client more worried about how the case is being handled.

The lawyer said the DPP's advice later confirmed that there was enough evidence against the defendants.

“After acknowledging that the suspects jointly attacked the victims with dangerous weapons and stole their belongings, it is hard to understand why several serious charges were not included in the final prosecution recommendation,” he said.

Ifonlaja also claimed that the suspects benefiting from the legal advice continue to enjoy their freedom while the victims wait for justice.

He mentioned that Azeez faced another criminal case in 2024 where suspects were released despite police findings.

According to him, this ongoing situation has raised concerns for Azeez about whether victims of violent crimes will get proper protection under the law.

The lawyer urged the Attorney-General to quickly revisit the April 16 petition, review the February 24 legal advice, and see if the charges matched the police case file and the DPP’s findings.

He also asked the ministry to take necessary steps to ensure justice is served and inform his office about their decision.

When contacted on Wednesday, the Ogun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice stated that the DPP’s decision was based on the facts in the police case file and the situation surrounding the incident.

Ogungbade said the case stemmed from a land dispute between the parties. It involved an alleged disruption of a meeting on the disputed property, during which some people were attacked and money reportedly went missing.

The commissioner said the facts did not warrant an armed robbery charge.

“We will never charge those people for armed robbery because what happened on that day was not armed robbery; it was assault, and that is what we have charged them for,” he said.

Ogungbade explained that prosecutors have the right, within the law, to decide on appropriate charges based on the case facts and what is fair.

“There is something called prosecutorial discretion. The prosecutor can choose, according to the law, based on facts and the need for justice.

“Even if a crime has happened, and the facts support it, sometimes you will prosecute for that crime; sometimes, based on the facts and the need for justice, you will pursue a lesser charge; and in some cases, you won't prosecute at all,” he said.

The commissioner said the police investigation was part of the decision-making process, adding that the case file showed the dispute was mainly about land.

When asked about the police's recommendation regarding the suspects, Ogungbade said he did not have the DPP’s legal advice handy and could not comment on the number of suspects released.

He maintained that the ministry's position was to charge the suspects for assault and not armed robbery.