Court declines to grant 38 women protesters bail

From Daniel Abel Lafia

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lafia on Monday declined to grant bail to 38 women charged to Court over protests following supreme court judgement on Nasarawa guber polls that affirmed the victory of Governor Abdullahi Sule

The court fixed Thursday 25th January for hearing on the bail application for the 38 women who were accused by the Police of allegedly causing public disturbance and mischief by fire.

The Chief Magistrate Court presided over by Mohammed Abdullahi Lanze took the decision after listening to arguments by counsels to the complainant and the defendants on the bail application.

The bail application that was filed on Friday last week by counsel to the defendants Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu was not granted by the Chief Magistrate.

At the resumption of hearing on the bail application, counsel to the defendants, Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu relied on points of law to support his plea for the court to temper justice with mercy by granting the defendants bail.

Counsel to the Commissioner of police, Danjuma Allu on his part argued that the complainant had seven days to reply to the bail application and urged the court to grant him a short date to reply in accordance with the provision of the law.

After listening to counsels, the Chief Magistrate, Mohammad Abdullahi Lanze adjourned sitting to Thursday for hearing of the application for the bail of the 38 persons.

He also ordered the Commissioner of police to produce the defendants in court on the said date for hearing of the bail application.

Reacting, the Coordinator of a civil society group, Community Initiative for Character Modeling and Entrepreneurship Development, Mr. Kefas Tiga described as disheartening and reckless a situation whereby some breastfeeding mothers with their babies and other sick women among there are not granted bail despite an application by the learned counsel.

He called on civil society organizations to wake up to their responsibilities by questioning some disturbing happenings in the country that negate the fundamental human rights of some individuals in the society.

“These people who were arrested are not all part of the protests that started from 19 March, 2023 and this protests have been peaceful”, he added.

It would be recalled that on Friday 19, January, 38 suspected protesters were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court 3 and later remanded at the Lafia Custodial center of the Nigeria Correctional Service for allegedly causing public disturbance, criminal conspiracy, mischief by fire and unlawful assembly.

The 38 women arrested are being punished for peacefully, and without any form of violence expressing their dissatisfaction with the decision that upturned the victory of David Ombugadu by the tribunal.