Kano insists Doguwa has case to answer

Kano State has said the Majority Leader, House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa, has case to answer, as the criminal charges filed against him are still pending in court.

Doguwa, who was remanded by a Kano Magistrate on alleged culpable homicide, among others, was granted N500 million bail by a Federal High Court.

Justice Mohammad Yunusa granted the ex parte application filed by Doguwa’s lawyer, Nurieni Jimoh (SAN), on the ground of fundamental human right, which presumes the defendant innocent until proven guilty.

Addressing journalists, yesterday, on the development, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Musa Lawan, disclosed that an investigation on the matter was on course, adding that Doguwa would soon be arraigned.

Lawan, who noted that the justice ministry had offered proper legal advice on the case, assured that as soon as the police concluded their findings, Doguwa would be compelled to face the consequences of his offences.

The state government dissociated from the sudden release of the defendant by the court and warned that government would not jeopardise human life for any political interest.

“Let me make this clear; the case of Doguwa is not over because the bail granted him does not automatically overrule the allegations. Remember, he was granted the bail on ex parte order and we were not served. But I can assure you that we would continue with the matter because we have the case dairy and we would do the proper thing.

“The government was surprised with the bail granted by the Federal High Court because, as far as we are concerned, the matter was adjourned till Tuesday for ruling of the magistrate court, while the case diary was brought to the Ministry of Justice for advice a day later. This is a capital offence, which cannot be rushed over,” the chief law officer said.

According to him, politics should not give anybody the liberty to start casting all sorts of unfounded aspersions on people.

“That the police conducted an investigation within a short period of time, just to charge the defendant does not mean we will not do the right thing,” Lawan noted.