Lawyer fumes over detention of Goje’s aide, Yayari in Gombe custodial centre
Chief Magistrate of Pantami township area court Mohammed Kumo, has adjourned the case involving, Muhammad Yayari, a 27-year old New Media aide of Senator Danjuma Goje till Friday 17th December, 2021.
Recall that since 30th of November 2021, the accused Yayari has been remanded based on the order of the magistrate, for allegedly posting that about 80 percent of All Progressives Congress ward executives in Yalmatu Deba had resigned.
A post the APC said was untrue and misleading threatening to take legal actions, claiming that just about six persons resigned.
Periscope Nigeria reports that Yayari, has spent about 16 days in detention from police custody to a custodial centre in Billiri Local Government Area of the state.
Speaking with journalists shortly after a well attended court sitting with overwhelming security presence, the lead defense counsel Luka Haruna alongside Saidu Kumo, Alhussain Ibrahim and Hope Onyekwere, described the continued detention of his client as unfortunate.
Haruna said the case in question is bailable, decrying what he termed as unnecessary influence by state agents on the court, which had prolonged the processes.
He said, “We are ready for the hearing of the case but unfortunately they (prosecution counsel) said they have Witnesses but unfortunately they could not produce any witness. In the absence of their witness the proper thing is to release the defendant who has been in custody since 30th of November, 2021.
“He has been detained by the orders of the court to be remanded in police custody but to our surprise and unfortunately for the system fair hearing was not given the defendant. He was removed from police custody and transferred to Billiri custodial centre. It is not the contemplation of the law.”
The lead counsel stressed that the constitution under section 36 bestowed the defendant the right to fair hearing, noting that the case has overwhelming interest of state agents.
“In the determination of his right the accuse, the accused that is the defendant must be given fair hearing, so before you move him from police custody where he was he needs fair hearing but we will take it up at the proper time because we know state agents are on this matter and we are on it too. We will defend the accused the best of our ability.
“Alot of us know that alot of pressure and influence is been brought on the court unnecessarily, on a matter that ordinarily should have been bailable,” Haruna said.
Also, Prosecution counsel Ramatu Hassan had argued that the state has witnesses in the matter, stressing that the bail application be stalled till the witnesses testified.
