By Murtala Adewale, Kano
The culpable homicide case against the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa, has taken a fresh dimension as a Kano High Court has ordered the state government to prosecute the lawmaker.
In the fresh order by Justice Maryam Sabo, the court compelled the Kano Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Musa Lawal, to exercise his powers as prescribed under Section 211 of the Constitution.
In an ex parte motion filed by Muntari Dandago, a retired Chief Magistrate, Justice Sabo instructed the Kano government to execute full legal proceedings against the defendant’s baggage of criminal charges with immediate effect.
The federal legislator was accused of killing members of the opposition party in his Tudun-Wada constituency and razing New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) secretariat in the community during the February 25 National Assembly elections.
Doguwa was remanded in Kano Correctional Centre by a Chief Magistrate Court for culpable homicide and other four criminal charges. He was, however, granted N500 million bail by Federal High Court sitting in Kano on a fundamental right ex parte application brought before it.
While the Federal High Court awaits determination of the substantive suit, Justice Sabo upheld the ex parte application seeking order of mandamus by Dandago on behalf of the victims.
The order reads: “Leave is hereby granted to the applicant to apply for the issuance of an order of mandamus against the respondent, that is Attorney General of Kano State, compelling him to exercise his power under Section 211 of the Constitution to immediately file a charge against Doguwa and his co-conspirators for the offences of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, mischief, incitement of public disturbance and possession of fire arms, before a court of competent jurisdiction.”
The motion ex parte, which contained a 19-paragraph affidavit, was duly sworn to by the applicant himself on April 5, 2023 and the written address filed by the applicant counsel, dated April 10, 2023.
The court subsequently adjourned the case till May 12, 2023 for hearing of the motion on notice. The Commissioner for Justice, Musa Lawal, ignored the text message and several calls put across to him to get his reaction on the court order.
Source: The Guardian