Court admits three Shiites members to N5m bail each on health grounds

An FCT High Court on Monday admitted three members of the proscribed Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) also known as Shiites to bail in the sum of N5 million each on health grounds.

Delivering a ruling, Justice Sulaiman Belgore, also ordered Mohammed Mohammed, Imran Ayuba and Mohammed Kamisu to produce two sureties each in like sum.

The three defendants were arrested alongside 60 other IMN members during the July 22, 2019 protest at the Federal Secretariat, located in the Three Arms Zone of Abuja.

Justice Belgore said that he had gone through the medical reports attached to the application and came to the conclusion that the three defendants required medical attention.

“I have carefully perused the medical reports and came to the irresistible conclusion that the applicants require urgent medical and surgical attention,” he held.

He ordered that the sureties must be civil servants working and residing within the court’s jurisdiction.

Tribune Online reports that the judge adjourned the case until May 20 for continuation of trial.

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Earlier, the defence counsel, Mr Bala Dakkum prayed the court to admit his clients to bail to enable them to seek medical care outside the Kuje custodial centre where they were remanded by the court.

Dakkum told the court that his clients sustained varying degrees of injuries during the July 22, 2019 protest.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protest led to the death of DCP Usman Umar and Precious Owolabi, a National Youth Service Corps member serving with Channels Television.

The defendants were first arraigned before the court on November 27, 2019, by the police.

They were arraigned on charges bordering on homicide, disturbances of public peace and destruction of government properties.

The defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

NAN reports that on July 27,2019, a Federal High Court in Abuja declared the IMN a terrorist organisation.

The court made the declaration following an ex parte application filed by the Federal Government through the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation. (NAN)