Adeyemi Fashola, popularly known as Naira Marley, is negotiating an out-of-court settlement in the alleged car theft case filed against him and three others by the Police.

According to reports, talks between Marley’s lawyer and lawyers representing the complainant in the case, Mr Adelekan Ademola, are at an advanced stage.

If successful, the charges against the four defendants may be dropped at the next hearing of the case on January 14.

Marley’s two brothers Idris Fashola, 18; Babatunde Fashola, 24; and their cousin, Kunle Obere, 22, are facing a four-count charge of conspiracy, stealing, assault and obstructing the police from arresting Marley.

They were arraigned by the Police on December 16, before Chief Magistrate Tajudeen Elias of a Tinubu Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, but Marley, the fourth defendant, was The court granted the trio N500,000 bail each with two sureties in the like sum.

Chief Magistrate Elias ordered the Investigative Police Officer (IPO) to produce Marley in court on December 31, 2019 so he can take his plea.

Following his failure to honour the court date and pleas for another chance by his counsel, Mr Awokulehin Ayodeji, Mr Elias threatened to order the artiste’s arrest if he didn’t show up on the next adjourned date of January 14.

Mr Ayodeji said settlement talks were ongoing.

“We hope that an agreement will be reached before the next adjourned date,” he said.

According to the lawyer, the Police were not against a peaceful resolution of the matter.

Ayodeji said:

“The police have no problem with an out of court settlement.”

At their arraignment on December 16, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Edet Okoi told the court that the defendants committed the offence on December 15, at Eko Hotel Roundabout, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The Nation