A Presiding Chief Magistrate, in Minna, Niger State, Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan has ordered that Alhaji Muritala Musa Ilori be detained at the GRA Divisional Police command.
Murtala is facing charges on alleged contempt and intimidation, and he case adjourned to 11th of July for the rulling on an application by his counsel.
There was a mild drama in Minna, on Friday, as 4 Magistrate Courts rejected the prosecution of Alhaji Muritala, a petroleum Marketer in Minna, when he was arraigned in Court.
Alhaji Muritala is the Managing Director and Chief executive officer of MUREEPET Oil and Energy.
He was petitioned by Justice Mariya Mummy Ismaila of the Minna High Court 3, for alleged contempt and intimidation before the GRA Divisional Police Command.
Upon the receipt of the petition forwarded to the Police, the Clerk of the Minna High Court 3, Shitu Tahiru commenced investigation and a four count charges on Alhaji Murtala was filed before the Chief Magistrate Court 1, which case was transferred to another Magistrate court.
The Magistrate then declined to preside over the case without any reason and the case was brought back to the earlier court that referred the case.
Not done the same case was taken to Chief Magistrate Court 1, who also refused to preside over the case on health ground.
At this point the case again was taken back to the Chief Magistrate 1, that earlier referred the case to the two courts.
Not untill the Deputy Chief Registrar in-Charge of Magistrates (DCR) in the Niger State Judiciary, Alhaji Hassan Mohammed directed that a detention warrant should be signed for the detention of Alhaji Murtala at the GRA Police station for arraignment in Court on Tuesday.
He was arraigned on four count charges before the Chief Magistrate Court 2, along David Mark Road, Tunga Minna.
According to the Police first Information Report (FIR) marked, MN/CMC/CR/78/2024 made available in Court and obtained by our reporter, the four count charges bothered on criminal intimidation, contempt of court, resisting arrest and assault.
The four count charges, according to the Police Prosecutor Inspector, Loffeh Jacob,(Mrs) contravened section 397,152,171 and 265 of the penal code law.
When the four charges were read to him by the Presiding Chief Magistrate Hajiya Fati Umar Hassan, he pleaded not guilty to the charges.
However, another round of drama engulfed in the Court when his counsel Barrister Denis Terhemba, requested the Court through an oral application that the Court should decline Jurisdiction to preside over the matter.
” My Lord I want to submit that one of the charges in the Police Information Report is not triable by your Court. Also, I want to submit that the defendant in this case was not even given the charges or was he even told of the charges against him by the police.
” My Lord, according to the Administration of Criminal Justice (ACJA), an accused should be given his case files and the charges against him before the defendant is taken to court.
” I will submit further, that one of the charge in the FIR, which is contempt of court, is to be tried in the Court where the contempt was committed. This is my humble submission” he told the court.
While objecting to the oral application of the defense counsel, the Police Prosecutor Inspector Loffeh Jacob told the court to strike out the application ” this court has the Jurisdiction to hear and try this case. I’m objecting to the application of the counsel”
