Attack on Zamfara lawmaker: Court adjourns to 13th Nov for hearing

From Ibrahim Sidi Muh’d, Gusau

The Zamfara State High Court 4 presided over by Justice Bello Muhammad Gummi, has adjourned a constituted case on conspiracy, armed robbery and theft filed in against Senator Ahmad Sani Yarima and 29 others by the Inspector General of Police to the 13th of November 2014 for hearing.

Justice Gummi, who during the Tuesday’s session lamented the delay for hearing tactically by the defense Counsels on technical grounds for almost a year now, said the hearing would resume on the 13th of November, the two pending motions filed by the State Attorney General and Inspector General of Police alongside the substantive suit would be heard as well. The Plaintiff, Engineer Ibrahim Shehu through his Counsel, Chief Nobis Elendu moved an oral application in which he declared intention to be joined as a party to the suit on the ground that he has a stake on the substantive matter.

But even before the court ruling on whether the plaintiff will be joined as a party in the suit or not, the State Attorney General who spoke through the Solicitor General of the State, Barrister Sani Nasarawa, notify the court that, the matter, though scheduled for hearing, cannot proceed because of the fact that, the Inspector General of Police did not comply with the court order issued by the same court directing him to hand over the case diary to the office of Zamfara State Attorney General for further processes and at the same time, hearing in a criminal matter cannot be done at the absence of the accused persons.

A Counsel to the Inspector General of Police, Barrister Oloye Torugbene said, the Inspector General of Police has no problem in handing over the demanded case diary to the State Attorney General, but that will be done after the case has been properly addressed before the court, stressing that, it was the same position they are canvassing for at the Court of Appeal Sokoto.

The IGP had filed a motion on notice, seeking for the court to set aside its order earlier dictated, as well as an order stopping the Inspector General of Police from transmitting the case diary to the state Attorney General till the case was properly arraigned before the court.