From Olanrewaju Lawal,Birnin Kebbi
Three people have been arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court 1, Birnin Kebbi, for allegedly assaulting Chief Magistrate Umar Salihu Kokani.
The three accused people are Aliyu Shehu, Yahyah Badare and Surajo Shehu. They are all staff of the Ministry of Higher Education, Kebbi State. They were arraigned with the case marked BK/358c’/2022 for criminal conspiracy, criminal false, assault, and defamation contrary to section 373 of Kebbi State Penal Code Law of 2021.
While arraigning the accused persons, Police Prosecutor, Inspector Jibril Abba, told the court that the three defendants were staff of the Ministry of Higher Education, Kebbi State, and they allegedly assaulted Chief Magistrate Kokani when he was performing ablution in the mosque. He said they were arrested by the police after the plaintiff reported them.
Prosecutors told the court that they were ready to open their case, but due to the absence of the principal witness, they would seek an adjournment of the case to November 28, 2022 for further mention. The accused were not represented by any counsel in the court.
The trial magistrate, Hassan Kwaido, adjourned the case to November 28, 2022 for further hearing and ruling on the application.
Speaking to newsmen after the adjournment of the case, counsel to the plaintiff, Sani Dan-Yaro Majidadi, explained that all they want is justice to the plaintiff, who is the chief magistrate of Court 3 in Kebbi State.
Barrister Majidadi wondered if a chief magistrate could be assaulted by anybody without consequences, it would send the wrong signal to the people in the larger society that anybody could be assaulted and the culprits would go scot free.
“What we want is justice. We don’t want a situation where people would be taking law into their hands and believing that nothing would happen. Some time ago, a magistrate of court was assassinated in Kebbi State. Till now, there is no justice. So, we want the situation to change, so that people would not be taking laws into their own hands,” he said.