Tuesday, August 11, 2020

MURDER: FATHER OF 10 SEEKS BAIL OVER DETENTION FOR 3 YRS WITHOUT TRIAL


A 57 year old man, Samuel Collins, of Mapeo ward in Jada Local Government Area, Adamawa state on Tuesday sought for an order of Yola High Court to grant him bail for spending 3 years and 8 months in prison custody without trial.


Collins who has 2 wives and 10 children according to prosecution, caused the death of one Ibrahim Elias by stabbing with a knife multiply on his chest over alleged extra marital affair with his divorced wife.


In his confessional statement, the suspect narrated that he noticed that the deceased was having an affair with his second wife even before divorcing her, saying that he warned him through his younger brother, Ezekiel Luka at the palace of their Ward Head not to continue going after his wife.


Collins, a Secondary School drop out and now farmer further stated that he landed himself in trouble on the 26th November, 2016 at Baza'a community when he sighted the victim standing with his wife, saying he warned him to stay away from his wife, but Elias started insulting him.


According to him, he got annoyed with the action of late Elias, and hit him with a stick and he fell down, saying that the victim later stood up and grabbed him(the accused) and also fell him down on the ground.


While on the ground according to him, his own wife took a stick and started hitting him( the suspect), and that an eyewitness came and separated them.


He said after he(Collins) got up, he then removed a knife in his possession and stabbed Elias severally on his chest and stomach where he fell and died.


He added that the next day, he personally rushed to Kojoli Police Station where he reported himself, saying he took the responsibility of killing the victim and pleaded for mercy.


The accused through his Counsel, Mohammed Abubakar, approached Honourable Justice Abdul-Azez Waziri's, High Court in Yola, the State Capital and filed a motion for bail.


He brought the motion pursuant to sections 159, 162, 297(3) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Adamawa State 2018 and sections 35(1) and (4), 36(1) and (4) and 41(1) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.


He informed the Court that he has been in prison custody since 14th December, 2016 without trial and urged the Court him bail.


When the matter came up for hearing at Tuesday sitting, Counsel to the applicant, Mohammed Abubakar, stated that the suspect has been kept at the correctional centre for 3 years and 8 months without formal charge to Court of competent jurisdiction, and prayed the Honourable Court to grant the bail application.


But Counsel to the 2nd respondent, Adamu Abubakar, opposed the bail application on grounds of the severity of the offence.


After hearing on the motion for bail, the Court presided over by Honourable Justice Abdul-Azez Waziri, adjourned the matter to 26th August, 2020 for ruling on the bail application.


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