Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, to take over the prosecution of 11 persons charged in connection with the death of Arise News journalist, Somtochukwu Maduagwu.
The accused — Shamsu Hassan, Sani Sirajo, Hassan Isah, Abubakar Alkamu, Abdulsalam Saleh, Suleiman Badamasi, Zaharadeen Mohammed, Musa Umar (alias “Small”), Mashkur Jamil, Suleiman Sani and Abubakar Usman — are facing a nine-count charge bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery and murder.
HURIWA expressed concern over what it described as undue delays allegedly caused by the prosecution team and officials of the Nigerian Correctional Service, stating that the development was unacceptable.
The group said many Nigerians were keenly interested in how the government was handling the prosecution, warning that continued delays could damage the country’s image.
National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said: “If there is any legal matter in which the presence of the Attorney General is needed urgently, then this case that the prosecution has already started to delay the hearing through avoidable technicality is that top priority public interest case. We are aware that the AGF has, on some occasions in recent times, taken over some cases from the respective prosecution teams and decided that his office would henceforth handle them. We urge the AGF to take over the prosecution of the accused killers of the Arise News journalist so that the Correctional Service officers wouldn’t have any further excuse not to produce the suspects before the court of law to face the long arm of the law.”
HURIWA also called on the leadership of the Nigerian Union of Journalists and the Nigerian Bar Association to send observers to monitor proceedings in the trial, noting that the deceased was both a lawyer and a journalist before her death.
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