Three Varsity Students Arraigned for Murder in Niger
Laleye Dipo in Minna
Three university students — one from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and the other two from the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai in Niger State — have been arraigned before a Minna Senior Magistrate’s Court for alleged murder.
Shehu Abdullahi of ABU Zaria, Jibrin Abdullahi and Idris Usman both of IBB University, Lapai were arrested on July 23, 2018 for allegedly causing the death of another 300 level IBB University, Lapai student Sanusi Mubarak.
The trio were on Thursday arraigned before Senior Magistrate Fatai Auna on a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide contrary to section 97, and 221 of the penal code law.
According to the prosecution, the deceased Sanusi Mubarak was alleged to have stolen an HTC android telephone handset that cost N32,000 and said to belong to one of the accused persons Idris Usman but when asked to produce the phone, the deceased reportedly said it was not in his possession.
The accused persons, according to the prosecution, picked up the deceased from Etsu-Iko hostel and took him to Cheche village where he was illegally detained.
The prosecution further told the court that during the detention the deceased was reportedly beaten to stupor before being put in a toilet where he lost consciousness.
The court was further told that the trio tried to take the unconscious Mubarak to the hospital but he died before getting medical attention.
The case, according to the prosecution, was reported at the Lapai Division of the Niger State Police Command by the Chief Security Officer of the IBBUL, Captain Aliyu Mohammed (rtd), leading to the arrest of the accused persons.
Senior Magistrate Auna expressed unhappiness with the incident but said he had no jurisdiction to entertain the case and therefore advised the prosecution to duplicate the case file and forward one copy to the Ministry of Justice for legal advice.
Auna also directed the counsel to the accused persons to apply in writing for the bail of the suspects and directed that they should be remanded in prison custody till September 4, 2018.
