A Lokoja Chief Magistrate ’ s Court on Thursday remanded a
mechanic, Abuh Yakubu, in prison for allegedly abducting and killing
24 - year - old Yakubu, son of a retired army colonel , Suleiman
Babanawa .
The Chief Magistrate , Levi Animoku , who issued the remand order
during the arraignment of the accused in Lokoja , said he refused the
bail application of the defence counsel because the alleged crime
was capital in nature .
“ It is the highest crime known to the law . Bail is not granted as a
matter of course , ’’ he said .
He added that Section 341( 1 ) of the Criminal Procedure Code
precluded the court from granting bail to the accused .
Animoku consequently ordered that the accused be remanded in the
Federal Prison , Ankpa , and transferred the case to the Chief
Magistrate ’ s Court , Ankpa , as he adjourned the case till September
26 , for mention.
Earlier , the prosecutor, Sergeant Friday Shaibu , told the court that
the father of the deceased , Suleiman , reported the matter on
November 28 , 2017 , at the Okpo Police Division .
According to Shaibu , Yakubu was at a party in Agala- Ikeje on
November 26 , 2016 , at about 10 pm when some persons invaded the
venue, abducted him and drove away to an unknown destination .
The assailants , two of whom were later identified as Felix Ameh and
Sunday Otene , were said to have been armed with guns when they
perpetrated the act .
The prosecution said while a search was on to find the Yakubu,
there was information that a corpse was found in Otukpa , Benue
State .
When the family got there , it was discovered to be the corpse of
Yakubu with bullet wounds all over him.
Counsel for the accused, Mr . E . A . Majebi , presented oral application
for the bail of his client , hinging his submission on presumption of
innocence in line with Section 36 ( 5 ) of the 1999 Constitution .
But the prosecutor said the accused would jump bail and interfere
with police investigation since investigation into the matter was still
on .
The accused was charged with criminal conspiracy and culpable
homicide, contrary to sections 97 ( 1) and 221 of the Penal Code .
0 comments: