Court fixes Jan. 25 to hear bail application of 38 Nasarawa protesters

A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Lafia, Nasarawa State, has set Thursday, Jan. 25, to hear the bail application filed by 38 protesters arrested for alleged public disturbances in Lafia.

Newsmen reports that the Police had, on Jan. 19, arrested the protesters for blocking Jos Road in Lafia after the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed Abdullahi Sule as the duly elected Governor of Nasarawa State.

The Police said the protesters, comprising five men and 33 women, contravened the peace accord signed by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, before the Supreme Court judgment.

The Magistrate, Mohammed Abdullahi-Lanze fixed Jan. 25 for hearing after listening to arguments by counsels to the complainant and defendants on the bail application.

He said that the accused persons would remain at the Lafia Custodial Centre until the adjourned date.

The magistrate also ordered the Commissioner of Police to produce the defendants in court on the said date.

Earlier, Mr Ayiwulu Baba-Ayiwulu, Counsel to the defendants, said he had filed the bail application since Friday, Jan. 19, and urged the court to grant his request.

On his part, Danjuma Allu, Prosecuting Counsel representing the Commissioner of Police, argued that the prosecution has seven days to reply to the application based on provisions of the law.

He, therefore, said that the court should give them more time to reply since it was still within the time that the law provides.