Court frees Small Doctor over illegal possession of firearms

An Ebute Metta Chief Magistrates’ Court yesterday released hip-pop musician, Temitope Adekunle, a.k.a. Small Doctor and three of his band members on a bail bond of N5 million each. They were counseled to be of good behaviour. Co-defendants in the suit filed by the police are Dare Osho, Sanusi Lateef and Hussein Darego.

Small Doctor was set free from police custody with a warning not to engage in any violent act for the next one year. The court ruled in his favour after he was arraigned for unlawful possession of firearms because he had license to carry a gun.

Chief Magistrate, Mrs. A.O. Komolafe, who granted bail to the musicians, also bounded them for one year “not to engage, recruit, instigate or incite any member of the Shogunle community and Lagos State by extension, to cause breach of public peace or disturb peace within or outside the community.”

Komolafe gave the orders while ruling in a motion exparte brought before the court by the police from the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department (SCIID), Panti, Yaba, against the defendants. In the suit marked 3564/2018, the police had prayed the court for a bidding order against “Small Doctor” and co-defendants.

The application was supported with a seven-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Inspector Kasali Saturani. Saturani had stated in the affidavit that the defendants were allegedly found in possession of a double barrel pistol at Shogunle area of the state.

The musician was represented during proceedings by his counsel, Mr. Yakubu Eleto, while Akeem Shittu represented others.

Prosecuting police officer, Cyril Ajifor, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), while arguing the application, had prayed the court for an order requiring ‘Small Doctor’ and other defendants to execute or enter into a recognizance with sureties to keep the peace in Shogunle and its environs of Lagos, for a period of one year.

Ajifor also asked the court for an order that the defendants, “should not engage, recruit, instigate or incite any member of the community to cause breach of public peace or disturb peace within or outside the community” for same period. He had also asked for other orders as the court may deem fit.

ASP Ajifor told the court that the order sought against the musicians was predicated on three grounds and a written address stating reasons why the court should grant the application. Upon hearing from the police lawyer, Chief Magistrate Komolafe granted all the orders as sought by the police in their motion exparte. 

The musician was among a group of popular entertainers appointed ambassador to the Nigeria Police Force earlier this year.

The group, including Omoni Oboli, Odunlade Adekola, Sound Sultan, Dr Sid, Korede Bello and Ruggedman, were seen in police uniforms posing with Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Dolapo Badmos.

He also performed at a show tagged ‘Entertainment Meets Security’ at the University of Lagos in March 2018.