From: Ahmed Abubakar, Dutse
Thousands of supporters of former Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, that besieged a Magistrate court, sitting in Dutse, where the former governor was standing trial on four count criminal charges nearly disrupts proceedings when news of his bail denial filters to the public.
The supporters, who thronged the court premises, on Tuesday, in Dutse, were mostly denied entry into the court premises by the heavily armed policemen deployed to man the court.
Midway while the court commences hearing of the bail application of the accused person the large supporters of the former governor started to chant pro-Lamido slogans immediately they learnt that the presiding magistrate court has turned down his bail application.
Immediately after the court proceeding the crowd started throwing stones into the court premises shouting ‘karya ne, karya ne’ meaning it is a lie, it is a lie you must release our leader.
The police having lost their patience with the supporters started firing several canisters of tear gas at them that only seem to infuriate them the more and resort massive missile attacks on the police and other people within the court premises.
It took the combined efforts of the Police and Civil Defense operatives to disperse the crowd and smuggle the judge out of the court, unharmed.
Lamido who was standing trial of alleged inciting and disturbance of public peace, criminal defermation, criminal intimidation which are contrary to the provision of Jigawa penal code as amended pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Counsel to Sule Lamido, Barr. Felix Osimerha, argued that his client haven been a notable public figure and considering that the alleged charges were not capital and are bail able should be granted bail.
He also argued that on Wednesday the former governor would be attending another case in Abuja for alleged corruption charges by the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Prosecuting Counsel, Barr. Ikenna Ignatius, argued that, ” allowing the defendant on bail is likely to jeopardise the peace of the state considering his large supporters that are evidently noticed before this court”, he stated.
Presiding Magistrate judge, Justice Usman Mohammed Lamin, stated that he needed enough time to go through all the submissions of the two counsels to ascertain if the defendant would be worthy of a bail.
He then scheduled ruling on Lamido’s bail application till Thursday, May 4, and directed that Lamido be remanded in Kiyawa Minimum prison.