The judicial community in Bauchi State find themselves up in arms and hysteria over the recent release of dangerous criminals to the streets of Bauchi following a decision by the administration of criminal justice committee headed by the Bauchi State Chief Judge, Justice Rabi T. Umar to release 194 inmates who were awaiting trial.
The committee had visited four prisons in the state – Misua, Azare, Jama’are and Ningi – where the committee conducted judicial exercise of examining inmates on awaiting trial that maybe released.
Loading ...However the ugly tentacles of corruption soiled the entire process.
Investigations by 247ureports.com revealed that five dangerous murderers were released in the process of releasing the 194 inmates who were awaiting trial. The names of the five convicted murderers are:
Ibrahim Sulaiman
Abbas Ali
Bala Abe
Aminu Kabiru
Mu’azzam Ibrahim
The above name five convicted murderers were released through the back door under the guise of the committee’s exercise. A source who spoke to 247ureports.com indicated that monies exchanged hands between the interested parties and the judiciary to facilitate the said illegal release.
The convicted felons had been presented to the Court of Appeal who after deliberating on their cases reaffirmed the murder convictions against the five men. They were sentence to 25 years imprisonment each.
Careful examination of the pertinent rules governing the release of inmates and detainees awaiting trial shows that the Chief Judge is constitutional bestowed with the power to grant freedom to detainees on awaiting trial while the Governor of the State has the sole rights to grant pardons to convicted/imprisoned felons.
Our source explains that since the release of the dangerous felons that the judicial community have been unsettled and displeased with the exercise. The chief judge is reported to have discovered the error and/or the mistake – after the news had leaked to the public – and has launched a move to re-arrest the felons and return them to custody.
But 247ureports.com made several failed attempts to reach the attorney for the freed 5, Barrister Dalbadal. His phones were switched off. Sms messages were sent to his mobile phone [0818 424 6726].
Interestingly, the defense lawyer had escorted the chief judge to the prisons for the judicial exercise. Our investigation revealed that the Defense Attorney for the convicted felons who had no reasons to have escorted the chief judge and the committee to the prisons, played a role that it yet to be determined. Our source point to the glaring anomaly and show of judicial corruption for an interested party to accompany the committee and then watch as the result of his visit yield to the release of his clients.
[Update] – The barrister later returned 247ureports.com inquiry. He spoke to us on the telephone. Here is the recording:
As the news of the judicial foul-up leaked to the open arena, the chief judge has been holed up in a series of closed door meetings with the NBA chairman of Bauchi State, Barrister Mai doki. Our source believes the chief judge and the NBA are meeting to figure means of softening the mendacity of the judicial rascality engaged by the Judiciary in Bauchi.
Already, a community in Azare where one of the freed convicted felon reside, has pledged to kill the released felons. Investigations reveal the threat by the community was not an idle threat. “Moves are underway to kill the entire five released convicted murderers”.
In the past, the Chief Judge of Bauchi had engaged in similar questionable acts. During the last general election while she was on acting capacity as the Chief Judge, she ordered the release of over 100 political thugs as a favor for the outgoing governor. According to our source, she ordered the release because she was looking to get confirmation as the Chief Judge.
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It is evident a travesty of justice occurred in Bauchi State. The type that requires the interjection of a high power body to examine and rectify as to avert possible communal crisis in Bauchi.
A committee set up by the NUJ or the national security adviser is deemed necessary to investigate the unfolding judicial rascality in Bauchi in order to halt the pending communal crisis from taking place.
