A Kaduna Magistrate Court 1, on Ibrahim Taiwo Road, remanded 189 members of Shi’ite Islamic Movement of Nigeria arrested during the sect’s clashed with the army in Zaria.
The court granted bail to four Shi’ite minors with the sum of one hundred thousand naira each and two reliable sureties who must deposit valid means of identification.
The prosecutor, Bayero Dari, told the court that Shi’ite members should be remanded in prison custody pending the report of arms and ammunitions recovered from the suspects adding that, the weapons has been sent to Lagos for expert analysis which almost completed.
Dari, maintained that the delay of experts’ report was due to large weapons recovered from the suspects.
According to the prosecutor, “The large arms and ammunitions recovered from the suspects caused the delay of expert report which will be used as evidence against them during trial.
“Our investigations almost completed, Police has already granted administrative bail to women and young offenders. Police handed them over to a credible sureties who will at any time provide them in court. We are for justice and we will not object granting bail to young offenders.”
On his part, the lead defence counsel,Useni Ibrahim, applied for bail application of young offenders saying that they would meet the bail conditions and urged the court to begin trial of the suspects.
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Auwal Musa Aliyu, granted the bail to the minors saying all other suspects should be remanded in prison custody till 29 march, 2016 for further mentioning.
Aliyu maintained that: “The young offenders are hereby granted bail with the sum of 100,000 naira. They must provide two sureties and one must be his blood relations. Each surety must deposit two size passports and one of the following; staff identity card,driver’s license,international identity card or voters card. The surety must give his or her genuine house address and GSM number.”
Those granted bail were: Ibrahim Suleiman, Aliyu Yusuf, Mahadi Munkaila and Aliyu Ibrahim, all below 18 years of age.
The arrest of some Shi’ite members followed the sect clashed with the army over assassination attempt on Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, which the Islamic movement denied.
