The Oniba of Iba community in Lagos, Oba Sulaiman Raji, has expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court’s recent decision to dismiss an appeal by the Nigerian Army seeking to overturn the acquittal of Major Akeem Oseni.
The Supreme Court recently upheld Major Oseni’s acquittal following his earlier conviction for manslaughter related to the death of a junior colleague.
Oseni, a prince of the Iba community and son of the late Oba Yushau Goriola Oseni, who reigned for nearly 45 years before his passing in 2020, faced significant legal challenges during the proceedings.
In his reaction, Oba Oniba, however, expressed satisfaction with the Supreme Court’s verdict, stating, “We are pleased with the decision that upheld Major Akeem Oseni’s acquittal and exonerated him. We believe in the judiciary’s role as the final authority for justice and encourage everyone to remain law-abiding and maintain faith in the legal system.”
Initially sentenced to 10 years in prison by a General Court Martial on February 7, 2020, Major Oseni’s conviction stemmed from a 2017 incident involving the discipline of Lance Corporal Benjamin Collins, a soldier accused of attempting a jailbreak.
Unhappy with his conviction, Oseni appealed the ruling, and the Court of Appeal overturned the judgment, declaring him innocent.
However, the Nigerian Army challenged this decision at the Supreme Court, seeking to reinstate his conviction.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court, however, dismissed the appeal, citing procedural lapses. Justice Uwani Aji, who delivered the lead judgment, stated, “The application filed on 9/10/2023 for an order dismissing this appeal for failure to compile and transmit the record of appeal is hereby granted as prayed. The said appeal No. SC/CR/948/2023 is hereby dismissed.”