Court okays veil for lawyer who allegedly stabbed husband to death

Yewande Oyediran

An Oyo State High Court has agreed that alleged husband killer, Yewande Oyediran, can cover her face during proceedings.

Yewande, a lawyer,  is facing trial at an Oyo State High Court  presided by Justice Mukhtar Abimbola for allegedly stabbing her husband, Oyelowo Oyediran, to death in the  Akobo area of Ibadan on February 2.

Both the prosecuting and defence lawyers had been engaged in a war of words after Yewande appeared in court wearing a veil.

But at the hearing on Wednesday, the court agreed to let the accused person appear in court wearing a veil, saying   it would give the suspect the freedom to show her face to only counsel and the trial judge.

The development followed a motion moved by counsel for the family of the deceased, who read a note purportedly written by a member of the family doubting the true identity of the suspect.

Counsel the family of the deceased, Yomi Aliyu, demanded the removal of the cloth being used by the suspect to cover her face during trial to ascertain her identity.

When asked to react, Oyo State Director of Public Prosecution, who is also the state counsel, Tajudeen Abdulganiy, disagreed with Aliyu, saying the suspect was only responsible to the court and not the people at the gallery.

This view was supported by counsel to Yewande, Bioye Ashanike, also a lawyer from the Oyo State Public Prosecution, who urged the court to dismiss the motion.

Trial Judge, Justice Muktar Abimbola, then told counsel to the family of the deceased to identify the suspect, which he did.

Justice Abimbola then overruled the objection and advised all parties in the case to submit their addresses at the next adjourned date of April 18.