Police arraign Audu’s son for alleged robbery, attempted homicide

First son of the late Abubakar Audu, former Governor of Kogi State and All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Mohammed Audu, has been arraigned for alleged robbery and attempted culpable homicide.

Mohammed, who was arraigned at the Chief Magistrate’s Court II, Lokoja, was arrested on Wednesday after honouring the invitation of the men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad at the ‘A’ Division Police Headquarters in Lokoja.

Audu was charged with criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt, mischief, armed robbery and attempted culpable homicide, contrary to sections 97(1), 248, 327, 298 and 229 of the Penal Code Law.

The prosecuting police officer, Gabriel Otowu, told the court that the late politician’s son allegedly committed the offence against his uncle, Prince Yahaya Audu, on August 30 in their family house at Ogbonicha in Ofu Local Council.

In his submission, Okechukwu Ayewu, leading seven other lawyers for the accused, urged the court to grant his client bail in line with provisions of 36(5) of the constitution and sections 341(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC).

Otowu, however, did not object to the bail application but left the matter at the discretion of the court.

In his ruling, the chief magistrate, Alhassan Husaini, said since the prosecutor did not oppose the bail application, he would have no difficulty in granting the relief sought by the accused counsel.

He said: “I find merit in this application which ought to be granted. Accordingly, the accused person is admitted on bail in sum of N100,000 and a surety in like sum.”

The magistrate subsequently adjourned the case to September 29 for further mentioning.

Meanwhile, a socio-cultural group, UjaAche-Igala, has described the arrest of Mohammed and 14 other family members as an “unfortunate development to intimidate the family into abandoning their political struggle.”

A statement signed by the group’s Head of Media and Publicity, Atek’ojo Samson Usman in Abuja, noted that the arrest of Mohammed and 14 others was politically-motivated.

The group, which said that the governor was ill-advised, however, advised the police hierarchy to be properly educated on reasons why they were drafted to the state, stressing that they should not be overzealous.