In a recent development, a Chief Magistrate Court in Lafia has refused bail applications for 38 women who were charged for protesting the Supreme Court judgment on the Nasarawa gubernatorial poll. The court fixed Thursday, January 25, for the hearing of the bail application for these women, accused by the police of causing public disturbance and mischief.
Chief Magistrate Mohammed Abdullahi Lanze presided over the court and made the decision after considering arguments from counsels representing both the complainant and the defendants during the bail application proceedings. The defense counsel, Ayiwulu Baba Ayiwulu, submitted the bail application on January 19, 2024, which was subsequently rejected.
During the hearing, Ayiwulu argued on legal grounds, seeking the court’s mercy in granting bail to the defendants. On the opposing side, Counsel to the Commissioner of Police, Danjuma Allu, contended that the complainant had a statutory seven days to respond to the bail application, requesting a short date for a reply in line with legal provisions.
As a result of these arguments, Lanze adjourned the sitting to Thursday for the hearing of the bail application for the 38 individuals. He ordered the Commissioner of Police to produce the defendants in court on the specified date.
Reacting to the court’s decision, Kefas Tiga, the Coordinator of the civil society group Community Initiative for Character Modeling and Entrepreneurship Development, expressed dismay. He emphasized concerns about individuals, including breastfeeding women and those with health issues, who were not granted bail despite the legal counsel’s application.
Tiga called on civil society organizations to fulfill their responsibilities by questioning incidents that infringe upon fundamental human rights, asserting that those arrested were not all part of the protests initiated on March 19, 2023, and stressing the peaceful nature of the demonstrations.
The 38 women were arraigned on charges of causing public disturbance, criminal conspiracy, mischief by fire, and unlawful assembly on January 19, and were subsequently remanded at the Lafia Custodial Center of the Nigeria Correctional Service.
