A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Lafia today Monday refused to grant bail applications to the 38 women charged to Court over a protest following the Supreme Court judgement on the Nasarawa guber poll.

The court fixed Thursday 25^th January for a hearing of the bail application of the 38 people who were accused by the Police for allegedly causing public disturbance and mischief by fire.

The Chief Magistrate Court presided by Mohammed Abdullahi Lanze decided after listening to arguments by counsels to the complainant and the defendants on the bail application.

The bail application was filed on Friday last week by counsel to the defendant Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu was not granted by the Chief Magistrate.

At the resumption of hearing on the bail application, counsel to the defendants, Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu relied on points of law to support his plea for the court to tender justice with mercy by granting the defendants bail.

Counsel to the Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Allu on his part argued that the complainant had seven days to reply to the bail application and urged the court to grant him a short date to reply by the provision of the law.

After listening to counsels, the Chief Magistrate, Mohammad Abdullahi Lanze adjourned sitting to Thursday for the hearing of the application for the bail of the 38 persons.

He also ordered the Commissioner of police to produce the defendants in court on the said date for hearing of the bail application.

Reacting, the Coordinator of a civil society group, Community Initiative for Character Modeling and Entrepreneurship Development, Mr. Kefas Tiga described as disheartening and reckless a situation whereby some breastfeeding women with their children and other sick women are not granted bail despite an application by legal counsel for the court to grant them bail.

He called on civil society to wake up to their responsibilities by questioning some disturbing happenings in the country that negate the fundamental human rights of some individuals in the society.

“These people who were arrested are not all of part of the protests that started from 19 March, 2023 and this protests have been peaceful,” he added.

It could be recalled that on Friday 19, January, 38 suspected protesters were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court 3 and later remanded at the Lafia Custodial center of the Nigeria Correctional Service for allegedly causing public disturbance, criminal conspiracy, mischief by fire and unlawful assembly.

The 38 women arrested are being punished for peacefully, and without any form of violence expressed their dissatisfaction over the decision that upturned the victory of David Ombugadu by the tribunal. (The Guardian)

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