Justice Aisha Wodu Bawa of High Court 3 in Suleja, Niger State, has directed the Area Commander of Suleja, ACP Sani Musa, to ensure the apprehension of five individuals suspected to be involved in the killing of Alhaji Muhammad Abdulsafur, the Village Head of Lambata in Gurara Local Government Area.
On January 4, 2023, a large group of enraged youths from Lambata stormed the residence of the deceased and took his life. Subsequently, 14 suspects were arrested in connection with the incident, and 12 of them are currently facing trial for murder.
The prosecuting counsel, Halilu Umar, from the state’s Ministry of Justice, informed the court that those directly involved in the monarch’s killing were freely moving about in Lambata, alleging that the police had not taken action to arrest them for prosecution under Section 221 of the Penal Code. The suspects at large were identified as Dauda Umar Sarki, Hamza Umar Sarki, Yusuf Chaska, Zubairu Dambaka, and Abdulkareem Dantani.
Justice Bawa granted bail to the 12 suspects already standing trial, setting the bail amount at N1 million each, along with one surety each. The case has been adjourned to January 4, 2024.
