A Lokoja Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded three persons in prison custody for allegedly killing one Alhaji Yakubu Shaibu of Igah-Ikeje in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi.
The suspects were said to have killed Shaibu over N300 fine.
In his ruling yesterday in Lokoja, the state capital, Chief Magistrate Levi Nda Animoku said: “Granting bail to the accused is terribly beyond the capacity of this court.”
The accused persons are Sunday Omale, 23; Danjuma Ojile, 20 and Monday Ademu, 20. They pleaded not guilty to the charges of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide preferred against them. The offence is contrary to sections 97(1) and 221 of the Penal Code.
The Police First Information Report (FIR) revealed that on June 15, 2013, the accused allegedly conspired and stormed the deceased’s residence to demand N300 fine from his daughter.
The deceased daughter, Safiya Shaibu, was alleged to have refused to participate in the cleaning of the Community Secondary School in the area.
The police report added that the decease gave the suspects N1000 and when one of his daughters demanded the balance of N700, the accused went violent and attacked the family.
They beat the deceased to a pulp as a result of which he died. Police prosecutor, Samuel Ikutanwa, told the court that investigation into the case was ongoing. Ikutanwa said by Section 341(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) the accused were not entitled to bail.
Counsel to the accused, Joseph Usman, said he intended to come formally by way of motion for their bail in view of the nature of offence, adding that there was tension in the village because of the matter and urged the court to “keep them around.”
In his ruling, Chief Magistrate Animoku said: “The offence of culpable homicide is the highest crime known to our laws and therefore, the accused persons shall be remanded at Federal Prisons, Koton- Karfe because of the fear of insecurity and crisis in the venue of the crime.”
He, therefore, adjourned the suit till July 1.
