3 civil servants for allegedly assaulting Chief Magistrate, appear in court

Three civil servants on Monday appeared in a Magistrates’ Court in Birnin Kebbi for allegedly assaulting Chief Magistrate Umar Salihu-Kokani.

The police in a charge sheet accused Aliyu Shehu, Yahyah Badare, Surajo Shehu all staff members of the Kebbi Ministry of Higher Education of criminal conspiracy, criminal false, assault, and defamation contrary to section 373 of Kebbi State Penal code law of 2021.

The case  was marked BK/358c’/2022.

The Prosecution Counsel, Malam  Jibril Abba, told the court that the three men assaulted Chief Magistrate Kokani when he was performing ablution in the mosque.

He said they were arrested by the police after the plaintiff reported the matter.

Prosecutor told the court that the police was ready to open its case but due to the absence of the principal witness, he will be seeking for an adjournment.

The civil servants were not represented by any counsel in court.

Magistrate Hassan Kwaido, adjourned the case until Nov. 28 for further mention.

Speaking to newsmen after the adjournment of the case, Counsel to the Plaintiff, Sani Dan-Yaro, explained that all his client wanted was justice.

Dan-Yaro said that the action of the civil servants could send a wrong signal to the people in the larger society that anybody could be assaulted and go scot-free if a chief magistrate could be assaulted without consequences.

“What we want is justice. We don’t want a situation where people would be taking the law into their hands and believing that nothing would happen,” he said.