Ibrahim Muhammad
The Zamfara State Magistrate Court I sitting in Gusau Zamfara State capital on Wednesday has ordered Commissioner of Police to thoroughly investigate an alleged criminal case filed in before it by a former member House of Assembly, Yusuf Alhasan Kanoma, against a media aide to state governor, hon. Mustapha Jafaru Kaura.
Presided over by Judge Murtala Abdullahi who ruled that the case is referred to the Commissioner of Police for thorough investigation, after demand by the State Director Litigation of the Ministry of Justice who represented the state Commissioner of Justice, Attorney General, Abdulaziz Sani (SAN), on a move to take over the case as empowered by provision 211 of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.
A Counsel to the plaintiff, barrister Surajo Garba Gusau, requested that the court should not consider the Attorney General’s demand for taking over the case, adding that, “What was expected of the Attorney General, was to give judiciary adequate protection as the defendant had allegedly directed thugs to clamped down on courts’ personnel who went to paste a substituted service on the gate of his house after his refusal to respect the court’s several invitations.
“The court always remains last hope of the common man, and should not be just served in the interest of individual, the Attorney General is expected to assist court to punish the defendant instead of assisting the defendant to escape justice. The defendant had eventually evaded court services and allegedly directed thugs to harm the court personnel who went to his house to fix the court summon”, Barrister Gusau has stated.
He admitted that, they are not arguing the fact the Attorney General has constitutional power to take over any case before the court, but certain conditions has to be met especially considering the nature of this particular case.
According to barrister Gusau, they earlier filed in the criminal case before the court against the defendant over charges including defamation of character, threat to life and inciting public disturbance.
Giving the nature of the case, barrister Gusau, said the defendant appeared on a television screen, claiming that, the complainant was virtually sourced even before his mother was formally marriage to his father. And that, the same complainant was awarded the construction of two mosques in his Muslims dominated constituency but, unfortunately sold the land.
