Court remands 13 suspects for killing village head in Niger

Justice Aisha Bawa Wodu of a High Court sitting in Suleja, Niger State has remanded 13 people in Minna Correctional Centre for their alleged role in the killing of the village head of Lammbata, Alhaji Mohammed Abdulsafur.

The suspects were arraigned by the Niger State Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice office on five-count charge, bordering on culpable homicide, disturbing public peace, inciting disturbance, voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means, and mischief by fire.

They were earlier standing trial before Magistrate Hajiya Fati Kabir of a Minna Senior Magistrate’s court, who held a preliminary charge before they were properly arraigned before the court.

The five-count charges, according to the Assistant Chief State Counsel in the State Ministry of Justice, Mohammed Galadima, were punishable under Section 79 of the Joint Act, contrary to Section 221 of the Penal Code.

Twenty-nine of the suspects were charged to court, out of which 13 physically took their pleas, while 16 of them were said to be at large.

Also, two others still in Minna Correctional Custody are to be brought in court on the next adjourned date to take their pleas.

Those in court were Umar Ilyasu Sarki, Hamza Umar Sarki, Dauda Umar Sarki, Abdulkareem Dantani, Yusuf Chaska, Zubairu Dabaka, Donbitso, Jibrin Garba Dende, and Ibrahim Mohammed.
Others include: Ilyasu Dantani, Yakubu Bisalla, Musa Mohammed, Adamu Yusuf, Yunusa Ibrahim Abdullahi Umaru, Musa Abubakar, Danladi Dashi, Mohammed Atiku, and Usman Habib.

However, when the five-count charge were read and interpreted for them, they all pleaded not guilty.

Consequently, the defendants’ counsel, Ahmed Baba, applied for their bail.
In the bail application, supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit, Baba urged the court to grant the defendants’ bail and assured that “if granted bail, they will provide a reasonable surety that would stand for them and will abide by any of the bail conditions.”

Responding, Galadima, told the court that he had filed a counter-affidavit to object to the bail application as moved by the defence counsel and requested the court to adjourn the case to commence hearing into the matter.

After listening to both parties, Justice Wodu, adjourned the matter to October 17, for commencement of trial.

She also remanded the suspects in Correctional Custody pending the ruling on the bail application.