On Monday, nine men and a kid appeared in Jos High Court for their alleged role in the slaughter of 22 commuters.
22 travelers were reportedly brutally killed on the Rukaba road in Jos, Plateau, on Saturday, August 14, 2021.
They denied the charge and pleaded not guilty.
The travelers were attacked by unknown individuals while returning from a yearly Islamic “dhikr prayer” in Bauchi State to Ikare, Ondo State.
Mathew Daniel, Juarbe Zamani, Dapar Sunday, Bernard Francis, Daniel Bulus, Yakubu John, Stephen Ishaku, Yohanna Marshal, and a juvenile were charged by the police.
Mrs. Muleng Alex, the Prosecution Counsel, told the presiding Judge that the accused were responsible for the deaths of innocent commuters on the Rukuba Road in Jos on August 14.
“My Lord the defendants were arrested by security operatives with dangerous weapons including knives, daggers, and swords and so committed an offense contrary to and punishable with death, section 188 and 189 of penal code law of culpable homicide.
“Since they pleaded not guilty to the offense, we hereby seek the leave of the Court for a short date to prove our case against the accused persons, more so that we have served them with our motion.
“Consequently, they should be committed to prison custody as we seek for a new date to come before your lordship for a definite hearing of this case,” Alex stated.
However, Mr. Yakubu Bawa, the Plateau NBA Chairman, contested the prosecution’s contention that the motion had been served on all of the defendants.
“My Lord, it is not true that services have been effected on all the accused persons because from our records, it has only been effected on one person instead of all.
“Secondly, we are opposing the application as it applied to the minor, who is 17 years old, to prison custody as we seek to replace him with any of his guardians in accordance with provisions of the law.
“We are making this passionate appeal to this honorable court on the sixth defendant, a minor in accordance with Section 175 of the Criminal Justice law of 2018.”
He said the application asks the court to release the minor on “self-recognition or to be entered by his parents/guardians through whom he is bound to secure his release and not to be taken to Correctional Centre” under subsection 175 (2) of the Plateau State Administration of Criminal Justice Law of 2018.
They were opposing Alex’s application, according to Bawa, because “the minor has filed his defense, which is dated September 24 and filed on the same date.”
Alex, the Plateau Police Command’s O/C legal, opposed Bawa’s application, calling the clause mentioned as “misconceived and misapplied.”
She said “that section can only be applied at the point of arrest and not when the accused person is being arraigned before a competent court of law for Culpable Homicide”
“My Lord, Solomon Dung, a minor of 17 years old, can be remanded in children’s custody instead of the correctional center and not to release for anyone to take his place,” she contended.
Justice Arum Ashom postponed the matter until October 13 for a definite hearing after hearing both sides.
Before the next adjournment date, Ashom ordered that the other eight defendants be served properly.
(NAN)
