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Funke Akindele’s lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje has averred that the state pardon granted to the actress, will not stop him from pressing on with the lawsuit he filed against the Lagos State Government.
TheNewsGuru recalls that Akindele, together with her husband, Abdulrasheed Bello, aka JJC Skillz, were sentenced to community service in April for holding a packed house birthday party in breach of the government’s COVID-19 prevention rules.
Though the couple had served their punishment, Ogungbeje had gone to court to contest the constitutionality of the Lagos State law pursuant to which the couple and other residents arrested for flouting COVID-19 guidelines were convicted and sentenced.
Fans of the actress were shocked when the Lagos State Ministry of Justice announced on Friday that Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the Governor had granted state pardon to Akindele and her husband, as well as 56 inmates from various correctional centres in the state.
The statement by the Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Ministry of Justice, Kayode Oyekanmi, said the governor acted based on the advice of the state’s Advisory Council on Prerogative of Mercy.
In his reaction to the development Ogungbeje, told Punch that the move was preventive of his lawsuit coming up for hearing on October 13.
“They know the case we filed is coming up on Tuesday, so the government quickly pardoned them today (Friday). They have agreed with us after all, that the process was flawed. They had seen the handwriting on the wall.
“It shows that we must continue to hold government accountable but that doesn’t stop us from continuing our case because other people are involved. This will not stop our case, which has been fixed for Tuesday.”