Four Murder Suspects On Trial Test Positive To COVID-19 In Bauchi

BY ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – The trial of the five suspects facing charges of culpable homicide have tested positive to COVID-19, a development that stalled their arraignment before a Chief Magistrate Court on Wednesday. 

The suspects were arrested for allegedly beating a 23 year old Sunday Joshua, a security guard with New Trafford Hotel and Suites, Bauchi to death on May 25, 2020.

During the siting at the Chief Magistrate Court 7, Yelwa the court was informed vide a letter from the Bauchi Correctional Centre that four of the accused persons, Abdul-Rasheed Shuaibu, Jacob Joshua, Joshua Ibrahim and Timothy Yunusa have tested positive to COVID-19 infection as confirmed by the NCDC. 

As contained in the First Information Report (FIR) presented before the Court by the Bauchi State Police Command, the five accused persons namely; Innocent Ejene, Abdul-Rasheed Shuaibu, Jacob Joshua, Joshua Ibrahim and Timothy Yunusa are to stand trial for Criminal conspiracy and Culpable homicide in accordance with sections 96 and 221 of the Penal Code laws. 

When the case was called, the Prosecuting Police Officer, Sgt Ayuba told the court that the accused persons could not be in court due to the reasons stated in the letter from the Correctional center in Bauchi and pleaded for an adjustment. 

Ayuba further told the court that during the sitting of the Court on 5th and 8th of June, the accused persons were ordered to be remanded in Correctional Centre custody. 

After reading the letter from the Bauchi Correctional Center dated 11th June, 2020, the trial Chief Magistrate, Safiya M. Salihu agreed with the content of the letter and thereby adjourned the case to 14th of July, 2020 for further mention and arraignment. 

There was however a mild drama in the court room when the presiding Chief Magistrate refused to recognize the appearance of a Counsel from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) for improper dressing chiding him for not setting example as a learned person. 

Even though he apologized for not properly dressed before the court due to what he described as misinformation about the case, the Chief Magistrate gave him the option to either enter his appearance with a comment or not recognize his presence, he chose the latter with apologies but the court did not record his appearance. 

On May 25, 2020, late Sunday Joshua, a security guard was accused of stealing a mobile phone, an allegation he denied but in the process of trying to extract confession from him, he was allegedly tortured by some of his colleagues which led to his death.