After four nights in one corner of a Dutse prison, a magistrate court sitting in Dutse has granted former Jigawa State governor, Sule Lamido bail on own recognisance. The prosecutor, Ikenna Ekpunobi had opposed Lamido’s admission to bail, saying it could jeopardise peace in the state.
However, the magistrate, Muhammad Lamin disagreed.
He also rejected a police report tendered allegedly linking the former governor to violence by his supporters.
The counsel to Mr. Lamido, Felix John, while pushing for his client’s bail argued that the evidence upon which the former governor was being tried was documentary and as such there was no witness to influence. He said Mr. Lamido, being a former governor, could not jump bail.
The magistrate ruled that the charge against Mr. Lamido, of inciting violence, was bailable.
” (There is) no evidence before the court that if the accused person his granted bail he will jump bail and no evidence other people will commit similar offense and that the accused will jeopardise peace of the state,” he said.
Recall that Mr. Lamido was arrested on Sunday. His houses in Kano and Jigawa were subsequently searched but nothing incriminating was found.
He was arraigned on Tuesday for allegedly inciting his supporters to violence over the forthcoming local government elections in Jigawa State.
Mr. Lamido says he is being persecuted by the ruling party, APC due to his 2019 presidential ambition
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