Kano ministry of justice agrees Muaz Magaji not arraigned on health ground Friday
Kano state ministry of justice has confirmed that the former commissioner for works and infrastructure, Muaz Magaji, could not be arraigned at the Magistrate’s Court he was taken to on Friday because he was not in good health.
The ministry said the court ordered that the “suspect should be allowed for medical assessment at the Police CID.”
The ministry however said he was not taken to court with blood stains on his cloth.
The ministry was reacting to NigerianSketch’s report that Magaji could not be arraigned because he was in bad shape as he was seen with torn cloth marred with blood.
In a press statement signed by a state principal counsel at the ministry who also doubles as personal assistant to the commissioner of justice, Wada Ahmed Wada, the ministry described the report as misleading and sensational, saying the presiding Magistrate did not take any judicial notice of the health condition of the suspect.
Wada, who was lead prosecution counsel in “the criminal defarmation (sic) charge against the Muaz explained that the suspect was brought to court with no single drop of blood in his body.”
Wada said the suspect was arrested in Abuja on Thursday “after ignoring several police invite and conveyed intact back to Kano by flight”, adding that “he couldn’t have been permitted by the airline travel if he’s truly sick as claimed.”
The report he was disputing did not really mention where Magaji may have been manhandled.
The principal counsel also argued that contrary to the media report, it was Muaz’s lawyer who had drawn the notice of the court to purported bad health of his client, adding that there was no time the court took any judicial notice of the suspect.
“The state prosecution emphasized that police was never rebuff (sic) by the court for executing their statutory responsibility of ensuring the suspect face (sic) prosecution on criminal charges against him.”
Wada stressed that the former commissioner “who was docked before Magistrate court no 58 at nomansland was subsequently ordered for remand at State Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), after the suspect claimed he could not speak or hear at the court.
“The prosecution said although the court ordered that suspect should be allowed for medical assessment at the Police CID, the court had adjourned the criminal case to Monday 31st when the suspect would be brought for arraignment.
“Muaz is facing four count charges bordering on criminal defarmation (sic) of character, assault, intentional insult to discredit and disaffection (sic) against the personality of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, contrary to section 114, 264 and 399 of the Kano state penal code.
“Muaz was accused of posting an image on his Facebook page containing pictures of Governor Ganduje and a strange woman, a development which the prosecution argument (sic) was capable of assassinating the good character and image as well as portraying the Governor as immoral and ungodly character.”
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