By Isa Khalid
Amidst tight security, the first hearing on the detained brothers in Kaduna Prison was held on Wednesday the 10th of February 2016 inside the Prison Yard, not in the Court as expected.
The Chief Judge addressed the teeming men of the press that morning that hearing would be conducted inside the Prison premises for security reasons; the men of the press were however denied access to witness the long awaited event.
Security forces were around the premises of the Prison where movement of vehicles were restricted along Independent Way where the Prison is located where 195 brothers languishing for almost two months without trial.
It was gathered that The Counsel to Government has presented a new charge against the detained brothers in addition to previous charges. Brothers are now charged with illegal possession of arms. He said investigation is going on regarding arms in Lagos.
The new charge was however denied by the brothers.
The Government’s Counsel seek for the adjournment of hearing to 29th of March 2016 pending further investigation into alleged arms possession which he said are now with Authority in Lagos.
The Judge granted the request, though, the Counsel to the brothers argued that if such new date is to be accepted, no any adjournment would be accepted again. They both agreed on this.
The detained brothers and sisters are languishing in prison for various charges to which they all denied, they were however, shocked with the new charge of alleged arms possession which they viewed as a new tactic to delay justice or to continue keeping them in prison without trial.
Nigerian constitution clearly explains that accused should not spend more than 3 days in custody without trial. In this case majority of the brothers were taken directly to Prison after they were arrested by Soldiers without being taken to Police or to Court for almost sixty days.
In the mean time four of the brothers were granted bail on medical ground. They are:
Ibrahim Sulaiman, Aliyu Yusuf, Abdullahi Aliyu and Aliyu Ibrahim.