A magistrate court sitting in Lafia has granted bail to 38 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters arrested during the protest against the recent Supreme Court judgement which affirmed the election of Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State.
The protesters were earlier arraigned by the Police at Magistrate Court 3 for alleged conspiracy, unlawful assembly and disturbance by fire.
The police said the protesters were in violation of the peace accord signed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and All Progressives Congress (APC).
The presiding magistrate, Mohammed Abdullahi-Lanze, granted the bail after hearing the application filed by counsels to the defendants.
He however said each of the defendants must get a surety not below the position of a director with the state or federal government, who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
The court also held that each surety must submit his or her identity card, N2 million, letter of first appointment and statement of account to the court.
Earlier, the state attorney general and commissioner for justice, Barrister Labaran Shu’aibu Magaji, in line with Section 211 of the 1999 Constitution, applied to take over the case as the chief law officer of the state from the police an application that was not objected by all the defendants’ counsel.
He averred that offences which the defendants are charged with were bailable offences and therefore withdrew all three counter applications filed by the police who were prosecuting the matter before he took over.
He, however, told the court that all the defendants be made to attend subsequent proceedings of the court unfailingly.
Barr. Ayiwulu Baba-Ayiwulu, counsel to the defendants, appealed that the bail condition be simplified to enable them to meet the condition.
He said Barr. Esson Mairiga, House of Assembly member representing Lafia North at the Nasarawa State Assembly, had offered to stand as surety to all the defendants.
The case has been adjourned till February 2024 for hearing.
