Five arraigned for assaulting Katsina justice commissioner

The accused are Nura Muhammed, a.k.a. Akarami, 28;Audu Dariya;Umar Farouk,a.k.a. Maharachi; Nazifi Aliyu, a.k.a. Chicago and Lawal Danmma. The police told the court that the charges filed against the defendants followed a complaint lodged against them by the justice commissioner. The defendants are facing charges of criminal conspiracy, belonging to a criminal gang, intimidation and obstruction of public servant while performing his lawful duties. The police said they acted contrary to sections 96, 306 and 397 and 148 of the Penal Code. Muhammed and Dariya were arraigned in court on Tuesday while the others were said to be at large. The police prosecutor, Inspector Sani Ado, told the court that the commissioner had, in a letter dated October 30, 2017, alleged that the five men stormed his office to intimidate and harass him. The police First Information Report on the incident, which was read in the courtroom, also stated that the gang of five men stormed El-Marzuk’s office and intimidated him. It read, “At about 1400hours, a gang of political thugs numbering about five, went to the state Ministry of Justice in the Katsina State secretariat complex, IBB Way, where they entered into the Commissioner of Justice’s office, abused him and obstructed him from performing his lawful duty. They intimidated him, saying he is going to be removed from office in the next 183 days.” The prosecutor told the court that investigation was still in progress and asked for an adjournment. He also requested that Muhammed and Dariya should be remanded in the custody of the State Criminal and Investigation Department pending the completion of the investigation and the arrest of their accomplices. The presiding senior magistrate, Abdulkadiri Umar, adjourned the case till November 24 for mention, and directed the accused persons to be remanded in the SCID custody as requested by the prosecutor.]]>