Justice Ministry Clarifies Allegations Surrounding Viral Video of Detained Suspects in Niger State.
By Yahaya Zakka Minna
In response to a viral video that has raised significant concerns, the Commissioner for Justice in Niger State has clarified the ministry’s position regarding an ongoing legal case involving alleged kidnappers from Mokwa Local Government Area.
Hon. Nasiru Muazu Mohammed, the Commissioner of Justice, expressed surprise at the video’s content, stating that the individual featured is not unfamiliar to the ministry. He explained, “Last year, he visited this office with the same complaint. During that meeting, he contacted Magistrate Court 7 to confirm the status of the suspects involved. In his presence, it was confirmed that they were still in prison custody based on the remand orders issued by the presiding magistrate. I even provided him with my phone number for any further developments, but instead of reaching out to me, he chose to go public.”
The Commissioner noted that during the last Ramadan, he received a call from the same individual. “Although I wasn’t certain if the call was intentional, I called him back and introduced myself. However, he did not follow up with a direct complaint after that.”
He explained that the case began with two accused individuals presented before Chief Magistrate Court 1 and later reassigned to Magistrate Court 7. “The initial suspects—Mohammed Dan sajo from Tunga in Mokwa and Mohammed Dengi—were listed in the First Information Report (FIR).
Subsequently, a third suspect, Abubakar Usman from Kara -jebba, was arrested by the Police and added to the case under seperate FIR.”
The Commissioner clarified that while the video claimed that five people were arrested, only three were officially documented and charged. “If five were arrested, the other two are either still under police investigation or were not found culpable.
According to him,the Ministry of Justice does not interfere with police investigations. We only review the files forwarded to us for possible prosecution.”
He explained that the police submitted a case file containing only three names, and the ministry issued legal advice accordingly. “Currently, Mohammed Dengi remains in custody in Minna, and we are making efforts to transport him to New Bussa to stand trial alongside Mohammed Dan Sajo.”
He refuted allegations that a court application was filed to initiate a trial in New Bussa without all suspects present. “That is false. No counsel would do that, particularly knowing that one accused person is still in Minna.”
Regarding the release of a suspect during a prison visit by the Chief Judge of the State, he stated, “We cannot challenge the decision of the Honourable Chief Judge. Based on the documents available to her, there was no formal charge or evidence against the individual who was released.”
The Commissioner for Justice, Nasiru Muazu reaffirmed the ministry’s position: “We do not arrest or investigate. We only act on the files presented to us.
According to the information we received, only three individuals were arraigned in this case. The identity of the person released by the Chief Judge is still a matter of discrepancy due to inconsistencies in the documentation.”
In the viral video, an elderly community member alleged that five suspects, who had been terrorizing the area through kidnapping and other crimes, were arrested.
However, this claim appears to be misinformation, as the authorities have officially documented and charged only three suspects.
