Four persons accused of involvement in the disappearance of a boy, Ayobami Adepoju, popularly known as Bobo, have been discharged by a court in Ado-Ekiti following the withdrawal of the case against them.
The defendants, Marvelous Ajibola, 17; Temitayo Jimoh, 22; Junior Lawal, 24; and Sikemi Salami, 20, were freed on Friday after months of uncertainty over their alleged involvement in the boy’s disappearance on May 18, 2026.
Bobo was reportedly last seen during the Odun Eegun masquerade festival in Ado-Ekiti after leaving his friends to buy bread.
Chief Magistrate Abayomi Adeosun struck out the case following the discontinuation of the prosecution against the four defendants.
Speaking with journalists after the court proceedings, their counsel, Dr. Sunday Ochayi, said the Ekiti State Ministry of Justice had reviewed the case and concluded that there were insufficient grounds to proceed with the prosecution.
Ochayi alleged that a radio presenter, Babatunde Bamigboye, popularly known as Omo Edema, had accused the defendants of involvement in Bobo’s disappearance during a radio programme. He said the allegations were followed by their arrest by operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The lawyer faulted the circumstances surrounding the arrests, arguing that the young people had been subjected to a serious criminal allegation without adequate investigation.
He explained that the case file was reviewed by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Office of the Attorney-General, leading to legal advice that paved the way for the defendants’ discharge.
Ochayi described the development as a victory for the defendants and their families, as well as a positive outcome for the justice system.
The ruling brought relief to the families, who maintained that their children had been wrongly implicated in the unresolved disappearance.
Favour Salami, father of Sikemi, said he was unaware of any relationship between his daughter and the missing boy until the allegations emerged. He accused the radio presenter and NSCDC personnel of wrongly linking his daughter to the case, claiming that the experience had caused her and the family considerable emotional and physical distress.
Salami, however, expressed gratitude to the state government for reviewing the case and said he was relieved that his daughter would no longer face prosecution over the allegation.
Similarly, Ajoke Jimoh, mother of Temitayo, said her son met Bobo at the masquerade festival after the boy complained of hunger. According to her, Temitayo gave the boy money to purchase bread but did not go with him.
She commended the state government for ensuring that the case did not proceed against her son, whom she insisted had committed no offence.
Gbenga Ajibola, father of Marvelous, also welcomed the court’s decision, alleging that his son had been wrongly implicated. He disclosed that the teenager was currently receiving treatment in a hospital and expressed appreciation to God and the state government for the outcome.
Despite the discharge of the four defendants, Bobo’s disappearance remains unresolved, with his whereabouts still unknown.
