MURDER : 13 PERSON ARRAIGN IN HIGH COURT 3 SULEJA FOR ALLEGED KILLING OF VILLAGE HEAD OF LAMBATA,
Thirteen persons alleged to have killed the village head of Lambata Alhaji Mohammed Abdulsafur have been arraigned before a Suleja High court Number Three.
They were earlier standing trial at the Minna senior Magistrate court Nos seven presided by Hajiya Fati Kabir who held a preliminary charge before they were properly arraigned before the Suleja High court
Twenty nine of the defendants were charged to court out of which thirteen of them were physically took their plea before Justice Aisha Wodu Bawa of Suleja High court Number Three while sixteen of the defendants were said to have been at large.
Also two others were still in Minna correctional custody to be brought in the next adjourned date for them to take their plea.
Those in court are 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
The office of the Attorney general in the Ministry Of justice arraigned the thirteen defendants on five count charges which bothered on culpable homicide, disturbing of Public peace, inciting disturbance voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous means and mischief by fire.
The five count charges According to the assistant chief state counsel in the state ministry of justice Barrister Mohammed Galadima punishable understand section of joint act contrary to 79 read together with section 221 of the penal code
In one of the count made available in court and obtained by this reporter,
read in part:
” That you Umar Ilyasu Sarki, on about the 14th day of January, 2023 at Lambata within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, had formed common intention with Hamza Umar Sarki, Dauda Umar Sarki, Abdulkareem Dantani,Yusuf Chaska, Zubairu Dabaka, Danbitso and Nda’allah Dagbq to commit an offence to wit: culpable homicide , in furtherance of which you went to the house of Mallam Mohammed Abdulsafur, who is the Village Head of Lambata while armed with stones, cutlasses, sticks and other dangerous weapons, got him beaten to stupid and inflicted head injuries on him. You all thereby Committed an offence of joint act contrary to section 79 read together with section 221 of the penal code”
When the five count charges were read to them by Justice Aisha Bawa Wodu and interpreted to them they all pleaded not guilty to the charges
At this point Barrister Ahmed Baba Shehu applied for their bail that the bail application is in support with fourteen paragraph affidavit urging the Court to grant the defendants bail assuring that ” if granted bail they will provide a reasonable surety that would stand for them. And will abide by any of the bail condition”
Objecting to the bail application the assistant Chief State Counsel in the office of the Attorney general of Niger State Barrister Mohammed Galadima told the court that he had filed a counter affidavit to objec to the bail application as moved by the defense counsel and requested the court to adjourn the case to commence hearing into the matter.
While adjourning the case Justice Aisha Bawa Wodu then adjourned the case to 17th October 2023 for Commencement of the matter.
She then ordered for their remand in correctional custody pending the ruling on the bail application.
