A30-year-old driver, AkeemBakare, who allegedly drove recklessly along Ondo/Akure highway resulting to the death of a staff of the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA, Akure, and his family, has been arraigned at Idanre Magistrate Court.
The police said Bakare, while driving a monarch from Osun State, Oba TaofeekOlaposi, drove dangerously on the road killing Mr Alex Akinwale, his pregnant wife, daughter and house help.
The driver was also accused of damaging two vehicles on the entourage of the Ondo State deputy governor, Alhaji Ali Olanusi.
It would be recalled that the accident, allegedly caused by the defendant, occurred at a few metres to Idanre junction along Ondo/Akure Expressway on February 1 and killed Alex Akinwale, a journalist and chairman of NTA Akure Chapel of the Ondo State Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, his wife, Kehinde, daughter, Paulina and his housemaid, Bose.
According to the police prosecutor, Sergeant OmolayoOlusegun, Bakare was charged with a two-count charge punishable under the Ondo State laws, noting that the charges brought against him was punishable under Section 18 of the Road Traffic Laws, Cap 3, Volume 6, laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
The prosecutor also urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody while preparing the duplicate case file for an onward transfer to the Director of Public Prosecution, Ministry of Justice, for legal advice.
Chief Magistrate Veronica Bobmanuel granted bail to the defendant with the sum of one milion naira and two sureties who must be at least a Grade Level 15 civil servant in Ondo or Osun States while the case was adjourned till March 19 for mention.