FROM MIJINYAWA BABA-UTHMAN MINNA
Hajiya Hadiza Hamza Imam of the Chief Magistrate court Nos. Five sitting along Shiroro road in Minna, has ordered the remand of four soldiers alleged to have killed an operative of National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Minna Correctional Custody.
The Chief Magistrate gave the order for their remand when they were arraigned by the operatives of the Homicide squad of the Niger State Police Command.
The defendants according to the police first Information report, included Sani Munzali , Mua'azu Hassan, Abubakar Awalu and Sani Abubakar.
They were arraigned on two count charges which bothered on Criminal Conspiracy and culpable homicide.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), marked MN/SMC/5/CR/ 31/2024 the two count charges were punishable under sections 97 and 221 (a) and (b) ofthe penal code.
The police Prosecutor Inspector Emmanuel Ogiri had told the court that the four deffendants, were reported to the in A Divisional Command of police in Bida by one Danjuma Bissala that he was on duty with his team on stop and search along Ramatu Dangana road in Bida.
He further told the court that all the defendants conspired among themselves along with " you Mohammed Abdullahi, a military personnel drove a motorcycle toward them. They stopped him to search his bike and person for anti drugs.
" You Mohammed Abdullahi initially refused to submit yourself for search to the NDLEA officers on stop and search duty and later after much argument you left their post and thirty minutes later you mobilized and returned back with six men.
" Three dressed in Military uniform and three in mufti, namely Sani Munzali, Abubakar Auwalu, Muhazi Hassan and Abubakar Sani. Without any provocation you conspired among yourselves and while armed with dangerous weapons such as jackknife, Cutlass and sticks attacked one Kingsley Ifeanyi NDLEA Personell in Bida who sustained injury on his back.
The police first Information report Continue," and he was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre Bida where he was confirmed dead on arrival.
" The Nigeria army Bida on the receipt of the information arrested you and court marshalled, dismissed you all from Nigeria army and handed over to the Nigeria Police for Prosecution. During police Investigation, you Sani Munzali confessed that you Collected a jackknife from the said Tanimu Mohammed now at large stabbed the deceased on his back."
When the charges were read to them by the Presiding Chief Magistrate Hajiya Hadiza Hamza Imam,they all pleaded not guilty to all the two count charges.
The police Prosecutor Inspector Emmanuel Ogiri told the court that Investigation into the matter has just commenced and he requested the court to remand them in Correctional Custody pending the completion of the Investigation while after which their case file will be forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for Legal advice.
Their counsel Nasir Abubakar made an oral application for their bail on the ground that the deffendants are presumed innocent until the determination of the case .
While refusing the oral application made by the defence counsel, the Presiding Chief Magistrate Hajiya Hadiza Hamza Imam, ordered their remand and adjougned the case to 20th June for further mention.
