Gen. Alkali: Court adjourns ruling on bail application of 7 suspects

Justice Daniel Longji of Plateau State High court has adjourned ruling on bail application for seven suspects standing trial for alleged complicity in the killing of the former Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, Major General Idris Alkali (rtd) to February 13. He said ruling for the seven suspects was not ready because the names of […]

Justice Daniel Longji of Plateau State High court has adjourned ruling on bail application for seven suspects standing trial for alleged complicity in the killing of the former Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, Major General Idris Alkali (rtd) to February 13.

He said ruling for the seven suspects was not ready because the names of the suspects had been muddled up, adding that, “since the names have now been sorted outs, I will go through the arguments and be ready with the ruling in February.”

The court had in December granted bail to 20 of the earlier 28 suspects standing trial on a five count charge of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, failure to give information to security agents on the crime, unlawful assembly for the purpose of committing an offence, and resisting the search for the late General Alkali.

However, at the resumed hearing on Friday, the Director of Public Prosecution, Gedalia Fomyon made an oral application to amend the charges by reducing the number of suspects from 28 to 24.

Fomyon said four of the suspects are to be charged for illegal possession of firearms which has been separated from the other offences and filed as a fresh case before the court.

But Justice Longji said, “the case before me is State against the people and now that you have separated the charges the new case becomes the Federal government against the four which has not been assigned to me.”

He urged the prosecution council to regularise the matter with the Chief Judge adding that, “If the CJ wishes that because the case is correlated and that I be assigned, no problem.”