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| Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami |
A coalition of civil society organisations has petitioned the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, over the detention of an Abuja-based activist, Deji Adeyanju, in Kano prison in the past 35 days.
The CSOs said Adeyanju was arraigned for murder by the police 10 years after he was acquitted of the same charge by Justice A.M. Haliru of Kano High Court in 2009.
The coalition in the letter dated January 17, 2019 stated that the continued incarceration of Adeyanju was meant to intimidate and silence him.
The petition was signed by Ariyo Dare-Atoye of the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution; Moses Paul of Make A Difference; and Adebayo Raphael of the #OurMumuDonDo Movement.
The groups stated that upon Adeyanju’s arraignment before a Kano Magistrate’s Court for homicide by the police on December 19, 2018, the presiding magistrate declined jurisdiction and refused to hear his bail application. The court instead remanded him in Kano prison.
The coalition stated in the petition letter, “It is our complaint that having admitted to not having the power to entertain the charges as provided for by Section 341(1) CPC, and Appendix A Column 6 of the Penal Code Law, His Worship did not have the authority to take the plea of the accused in the first place neither did His Worship have the authority to refuse the application for bail or remand the accused in prison.”
It sought the intervention of the AGF in Adeyanju’s ordeal, noting that the activist was arrested thrice between November 28, 2018, and December 13, 2018 and charged to court.
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The CSOs said Adeyanju was arraigned for murder by the police 10 years after he was acquitted of the same charge by Justice A.M. Haliru of Kano High Court in 2009.
The coalition in the letter dated January 17, 2019 stated that the continued incarceration of Adeyanju was meant to intimidate and silence him.
The petition was signed by Ariyo Dare-Atoye of the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution; Moses Paul of Make A Difference; and Adebayo Raphael of the #OurMumuDonDo Movement.
The groups stated that upon Adeyanju’s arraignment before a Kano Magistrate’s Court for homicide by the police on December 19, 2018, the presiding magistrate declined jurisdiction and refused to hear his bail application. The court instead remanded him in Kano prison.
The coalition stated in the petition letter, “It is our complaint that having admitted to not having the power to entertain the charges as provided for by Section 341(1) CPC, and Appendix A Column 6 of the Penal Code Law, His Worship did not have the authority to take the plea of the accused in the first place neither did His Worship have the authority to refuse the application for bail or remand the accused in prison.”
It sought the intervention of the AGF in Adeyanju’s ordeal, noting that the activist was arrested thrice between November 28, 2018, and December 13, 2018 and charged to court.
In this article: