A 64-year-old man, Mr Enabulele Sampson, has been charged in court for failing to produce a suspect he stood surety for after the suspect fled to Canada. The suspect, Ajayi Patrick, was accused of bigamy following a complaint filed on March 12, 2026, at Aideyan Police Division in Benin City. He was reportedly set to marry at the Federal Marriage Registry on March 14, 2026, despite allegedly being in an existing marriage. Igho Joy, who lives at No. 156, Upper Mission Extension, raised the complaint but was asked to provide documentary proof, including a marriage certificate, to support the claim.
Ajayi Patrick was granted bail with Enabulele Sampson as surety, who was instructed to bring him to the station on March 17, 2026. That did not happen. Further investigation revealed Patrick had fled to Canada to avoid investigation. The Edo State Police Command has engaged INTERPOL to locate and apprehend him. Sampson is now being arraigned before a court to explain why his bail bond should not be forfeited.
The Command has cleared CSP Adesuwa Omoruyi, the Divisional Police Officer at Aideyan Division, of allegations of corruption and aiding Patrick's escape. These claims were made by a group called Freedom Ambassadors Organisation. Police spokesperson ASP Eno Ikoedem dismissed the allegations as false and misleading, stating all actions followed due process. Commissioner of Police Monday Agbonika reaffirmed the Command's commitment to transparency and lawful procedures.
Ajayi Patrick's escape to Canada exposes how easily suspects with international access can bypass local justice processes. The arraignment of Enabulele Sampson does little to address the systemic gaps that allow bail beneficiaries to vanish without consequence. If the police rely on INTERPOL to chase suspects abroad, then bail decisions involving international travel must be far more stringent. For Nigerians, this case underscores how legal loopholes benefit those who can afford to flee.
