From Edwin Olofu, Kano
There was a mild drama at Gezawa High Court Kano Thursday when the Girl Bride, Wasila Tasi suspected to have killed her husband and three others last April failed to utter a word in court during her trial.
The culpable homicide case, which attracted the international Human Rights community, was nearly stalled by the refusal of the 14 year-old suspect to speak, which compelled the presiding Judge, Justice Muhammad Yahaya to enter a plea of ‘not guilty’ on her behalf, shortly after the charged sheet was read and explained to her in local dialect.
Wasilah, looking perturbed at the dock, was repeatedly asked whether she understood the content of what was read before her, but each time failed to utter a word, as the court’s Registrar called out the 4-count charge of culpable homicide, punishable by death under section 221 A of the Penal Code law.
The decision of the court to enter a plea of not guilty on her behalf revived the case, as the prosecution counsel, Lamido Abba Soron-Dinki offered to line up five witnesses to prove the merit of the case.
The prosecution counsel further sought the court to adjourn the case, to enable him intimate the prosecution witnesses to testify.
The Defense counsel, Hussaina Aliyu Ibrahim, who was granted 30 minutes to confer with her client on the weight of allegation level against her concur with the adjournment application, adding that the time frame would allow the defense team to regulate and regularize their response on matter before the court.
The presiding judge, therefore, adjourned the matter to 26 and 27 of November 26 and 27 for continued hearing and also ordered that the 14 year-old suspect be returned to Remand Home.
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