FOUR SUSPECTS PLEADED NOT GUILTY IN THE KILLING OF ISLAMIC CLERIC .
BY UTHMAN BABA- SIRAJDEEN
There was mild drama at the Chief Magistrate Court Two Tunga Minna on Thursday when four suspects who had earlier pleaded guilty made a reverse plea of not guilty to the two count charges earlier brought against them by the men of the Niger State Police Command.
The Four defendants had earlier pleaded guilty to the two count charges brought against them by the police after the charges were read to them by the presiding Chief Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan
The four defendants Include Suleiman Ahmadu, Bello Adamu, Harisu Usman and Umar Isiaka were standing trial on two count charges which bothered on Criminal Conspiracy aiding and abating.
The police Prosecutor Dsp Mayaki Abdullahi had told the court that the two count charges contravened sections 97 and 85 of penal
The four defendants were alleged to have conspired among themselves to contribute money for one Bala Kato who is alleged to have been a principal suspect in the killing of one Alarama Umar Tasiu .
Umar Kato now at large was suspected to have been the mastermind behind the Killing of Alarama Umar Tasiu who was killed early last month in London Street in Minna.
When the charges were read to the suspects by the presiding Chief Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan they all pleaded guilty and the Police prosecutor DSP Mayaki Abdullahi prayed the court to invoke the provision of section 190 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Niger State.
The Chief Magistrate then reserved their Conviction and sentenced to the 6th of November 2023.
When the suspects were brought via a substituted First Information (FIR) report on Thursday by officers of the Niger State Police Command, the suspects deny the earlier charges of guilt .
After they pleaded not guilty, the police Prosecutor then objected to their bail on the ground that they would interfere with ongoing police investigation.
The Presiding Chief Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan however granting them bail as objected by the police Prosecutor saying
” having perused through the first information report the defendants were not alleged to have conspired with the suspected principal killer.
She then admit them on bail in the sum of N2 milion with reasonable surety who must reside within the court jurisdiction.
One of the surety according to her must be a Chief Imam of any of the Juma’at Mosque in Minna and the second surety must be a businessman who has up to Five Million in his account to also deposit his National I.D card with his recent passport and to write an undertaken to produce the defendants in court or to face the charges brought against them should they escape Prosecution.
The case was adjoined to 15 of December 2023 for further mention while the suspects are to be remanded in correctional centre pending when they will perfect the bail condition.
