In Lafia, a Chief Magistrate Court a has refused the bail applications of 38 women charged over a protest of the Supreme Court judgment on the Nasarawa gubernatorial poll.
Apparently, the court fixed Thursday, January 25, for the hearing of the bail application for the women accused by the police of causing public disturbance and mischief.
Apparently, the decision was made by Chief Magistrate Mohammed Abdullahi Lanze after listening to arguments presented by counsels to both the complainant and the defendants during the bail application proceedings.
It was gathered by Hobnob News reports that the bail application, submitted on Friday, January 19, 2024 by the defense counsel, Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu, was rejected. Ayiwulu had argued on legal grounds, pleading with the court to show mercy by granting bail to the defendants.
While opposing the bail application Counsel to the Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Allu, contended that the complainant had a statutory seven days to respond to the bail application, he urged the court to grant him a short date to reply, in accordance with the provisions of the law.
Based on the arguments, Lanze adjourned the sitting to Thursday for the hearing of the bail application for the 38 individuals.
Lanze ordered the Commissioner of Police to produce the defendants in court on the specified date for the hearing.
While responding to the court’s decision, Kefas Tiga, the Coordinator of the civil society group Community Initiative for Character Modeling and Entrepreneurship Development expressed dismay.
He described the situation as disheartening and reckless, particularly stating concerns about breastfeeding women, those with children, and others with health issues who were not granted bail despite the legal counsel’s application.
Tiga called on civil society organizations to fulfill their responsibilities by questioning incidents that infringe upon the fundamental human rights of individuals in society.
He also emphasised that those arrested were not all part of the protests that began on March 19, 2023, and stressed that the demonstrations had been peaceful.
The 38 women were arraigned on charges of causing public disturbance, criminal conspiracy, mischief by fire, and unlawful assembly on Friday, 19th January.
Subsequently, they were remanded at the Lafia Custodial Center of the Nigeria Correctional Service.
They were arrested for protesting Supreme court ruling which affirmed Abdullahi Sule as the Governor of Nasarawa State.
HOBNOB NEWS
