Veracity Desk veracitydesk
Related Articles
One hundred and thirty members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, were on Thursday arraigned before an Abuja Chief Magistrate Court at Wuse Zone 2.
In the First Information Report (FIR) filed at the court, the Nigerian police claimed that the defendants committed a joint act “by joining or continuing in unlawful assembly, knowing it has been commanded to disperse, disturbance of public peace, rioting and causing hurt”.
The arraigned members of the sect were alleged to have, by their actions, committed criminal offences contrary to section 79, 104, 113, 106 and 242 of the Penal Code.
The police FIR stated that the incident happened on October 30.
According to the FIR: “At about 1400hrs, at different parts of FCT and environs, following a tip-off that some group of persons were rioting, disturbing public peace and blocking vehicular movement.
“Immediately, a team of policemen led by Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operation, FCT Command, Abuja, ACP Valentine Olumesi, arrived at the scene and met you whose names appeared overleaf, riotously gathered and blocking vehicular movements and you were ordered to disperse peacefully and you refused and started throwing stones at the police officers and other members of the public and thereby caused them bodily harm.
“You are thereby reasonably suspected to have committed the above mentioned offences.”
The 130 defendants were among 400 persons arrested after a two-day violent clash that involved protesting Shiites and security agencies in the Federal Capital Territory.
The incident, according to reports, led to the death of about 42 persons.
At the Magistrate court, those that were arrested and brought for trial included eleven women, some of whom were nursing mothers.
The accused were divided and arraigned before five separate magistrates, but the charge was the same.
All the defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge that was read and interpreted to them in Hausa.
Though the police opposed their bail applications, the court overruled.
They were granted bail by all the magistrates that took their plea, but the magistrates differed on the bail conditions.
In her ruling, Magistrate Elizabeth Jones-Woni, who recorded the plea of 30 of the defendants, granted them bail to the tune of N500, 000 each, adding that they should provide three persons to stand surety for all of them.
Magistrate Njideka Duru who took the plea of 35 defendants, and Magistrate Lateef Abolaji, who heard the plea of 30 others, granted them bail to the tune of N50, 000 each.
Similarly, Magistrate Musa Ibrahim Jibbo, who was assigned the case involving 35 of the arrested Shiite members, admitted them to bail in the sum of N200,000 each, with one surety in like sum.
The arraignment of the Shiite women was stalled due to the absence of Magistrate Musa Eneye, who was assigned to take their plea.
The case was subsequently adjourned till December 5 for trial.
Police Takeover Ekiti PDP Secretariat After Invasion By Aggrieved Members
There was drama in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, On Thursday as some aggrieved leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stormed the party secretariat at Ajilosun and shut it.
Led by its former secretary in the state, Tope Aluko, the aggrieved members accused the State Working Committee (SWC) of illegal withdrawal of party funds running into millions of naira.
Party officials escaped, running in different directions to avoid being caught in the melee as the angry members locked the offices one after another.
Armed police personnel have since taken over the party secretariat to avoid further breakdown of law and order.
Addressing journalists, Aluko said the action became necessary in order to save the PDP from imminent collapse in the state.
He said the secretariat would remain shut until further directives would come from leaders of the party.
Aluko listed the leaders as former Governor Peter Ayo Fayose, Senator Biodun Olujimi, Senator Duro Faseyi, and Senator Clement Awoyelu.
“We have some aggrieved members who alleged imposition of candidates in the last primaries of the party and we are worried as concerned stakeholders.
“We are here today to lock up the party secretariat, not because of anything, but because of some nefarious and fraudulent activities among our members.
In his reaction, the PDP Spokesman in the state, Jackson Adebayo, queried Aluko’s action, saying: “What concerns Tope Aluko in the running of affairs of our party.
“As far as I’m concerned, Tope Aluko is an expelled member of our party and he does not have moral standing, and he is not qualified to query, question, or throw a challenge on how we run our party in Ekiti.
PDP Condemns Invasion Of Ekiti State Chapter Secretariat
Meanwhile, the PDP on Thursday condemned in strong terms the invasion of the Ekiti State chapter of the party secretariat by alleged hoodlums.
PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, vowed to investigate the invasion with a view to exposing and sanctioning anyone found to be involved directly or indirectly in the disruption of the smooth running of its activities in Ekiti.
