Court Warns Prosecution in PLASU Criminal Case

BY CHAMBERLAIN ODEY, JOS – A Magistrate court sitting in Jos has warned the Police Prosecutor in a case of criminal conspiracy and intimidation brought before it by three senior staff of the Plateau State University, Bokkos.
Ruling in an application for adjournment by the defence attorney, the presiding magistrate of the Jos Metropolitan Board Magistrate Court, Mrs Roseline Baraje, frowned at the complacent and non-committal attitude of the Prosecutor, Inuwa Moven, who was absent when the matter was called for hearing for reasons not known the court.
In granting the application for adjournment, Magistrate Baraje noted that this adjournment being the fifth one for similar reasons indicates apparent lack of seriousness on the part of the Prosecution.
Accordingly, she warned that if the Prosecution puts up the same lackadaisical attitude when the matter comes up for hearing on November 1, 2018, the court will have to strike out the matter, noting
that this last adjournment was granted to ensure that “justice is done at the end”.
Three senior staff of the Plateau state University, Bokkos, had reported a case of threat and intimidation via text messages they received on their mobile phones just one minute apart on March 15,
2017 to the University’s security department.
Given the weight of the threats, and the fact that the lives of the staff were apparently in danger, the University, through its chief security officer, Istifanus Kurtong, reported the matter and enlisted the intervention of the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Unit of the Nigeria Police, Jos.
In a correspondence dated June 23, 2017, and addressed to the Security Division of PLASU, in the Office of the Vice Chancellor, the Police had concluded its findings, and a prima facie case of criminal conspiracy and intimidation was established against one Yakubu Atang Azi, also a staff of the State University.
Although the accused was subsequently arrested and detained before he was later secured on bail by a top State government functionary, Mr Yakubu has since returned to his duty post at the PLASU while he faces trial on criminal charges.