Magistrate Court Grants Bail to 38 Protesters in Nasarawa State

By Kalu Idika

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital presided by Mohammed Lanze has granted bail to 38 persons over alleged involvement in disturbance of public peace after the Supreme Court judgement that affirmed Governor Abdullahi Sule as the lawful winner of the Governorship election in the state.

The Chief Magistrate granted the bail following a legal intervention by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice,Mister Labaran Magaji when the matter came up for continuation of hearing on the bail application.
The law gives a State Attorney General power to take over some state matters in a competent court of jurisdiction.

The State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Labaran Magaji therefore urged the Magistrate Court to grant the thirty-eight defendants bail as the offences leveled against them were bailable.

He however advocated stringent conditions to be given to the defendants to enable them to appear before the court when they are needed.

Counsel to the defendants, Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu expressed appreciation to the State Attorney General and prayed the court to review the bail conditions as it would be difficult for the defendants who are mostly farmers to meet them.

Ruling on the bail application, the Chief Magistrate, Mohammed Lanze granted the thirty eight defendants bail in the sum of two million naira each with a surety who must be a Director in the service of the state or federal government among other conditions.

He adjourned sitting to twenty seven of February for commencement of trial.

The defendants who were brought to the court by the personnel of the Nigeria Correctional Service were later taken back to the custodial centre in Lafia while they perfect the bail conditions.

There was heavy presence of a combined team of security personnel within and around the Magistrate court along Shendam road which led to diversion of movement of vehicles to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

The State Commissioner of police Umar Nadada had arraigned the thirty eight defendants on four counts charges of unlawful assembly, criminal conspiracy, disturbance of public peace and mischief by fire.