Emerging facts surrounding the case of a Jimeta Prison Inmate who broke into tears in the court hall in Yola, Adamawa state for a prolonged detention on awaiting trial, indicate that his continued detention was caused by the number of prosecution witnesses lined up to testify in court.
It could be recalled that a 21 year old Jimeta Prison Inmate identified as Auwal Umar of Dogoruwa Village, Balanga Local Government Area in Gombe state had burst into tears at the Upper Area Court I, Yola on Wenesday over what he described as delay of justice.
The Inmate had while crying aloud alleged that he had been arrested for stealing 10 measures of rice, and that when he was taking to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the State Police Command, the police recovered the stolen rice.
He further lamented that he was later arraigned before the court, where he pleaded guilty for the offence, and the court ordered that he should be remanded in prison custody to enable the prosecutor bring witnesses to corroborate with his plea of guilty.
Since then, according to him, he has been into prison custody for over 200 days, and that anytime he appeared in court the matter will be adjourned for another day causing him a lot frustration and pains, and however threatened to embark on hunger strike so as to kill himself.
But according to records emerging from the First Information Report, the suspect, Auwal Umar was arraigned before Upper Area Court I, Yola presided Magistrate Mohammed Buba on the offences of criminal conspiracy, store breaking, theft among others.
According to the records, on 27th May, 2019, one Baba Garba and 11 others of Mbamoi ward, Yola South LGA reported to the police that the suspect was arrested when he broke into the shop of Baba in Yola market where he stole a half bag of parboiled rice.
All the complainants who are traders in Yola market approached the police alleging that the suspect was responsible for various theft in their shops.
In the course of investigation, the accused confessed to had been into the act for long during which he carted away the parboiled rice, locust beans, a bag containing clothes and other items in the market valued at #411,000 contrary to section 337 and 276 of Adamawa state Penal Code Law.
Investigation further revealed that the suspect who broke into the shops of the complainants on different occasions had sold his stolen items to Rita Anayo, Rose Gambo, Chioma Cletus and Justina Samuel within Jimeta.
But at the commencement of hearing the matter at Upper Area Court I, only 5 of complainants so far appeared, leaving 8 which the prosecution is battling to link up with them to come and testify, hence the delay in determining the case of the suspect.
NEWS PLATFORM learnt that the delay in convicting the suspect who had already pleaded guilty is as a result of the number of witnesses that are assembled to testify in court, so as to corroborate with his plea of guilty.
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