Follow Us on Google
PAUL ORUDE BAUCHI
Four out of the five suspects standing trial for alleged beating to death of a security man, Sunday Joshua, at the New Trafford Hotels and Suites in Bauchi, have tested positive for CoronaVirus.
The arraignment of the five, at the Chief Magistrate Court 7, Yelwa, on Wednesday, was stalled following a letter written to the court that four accused persons, Abdul-Rasheed Shuaibu, Jacob Joshua, Joshua Ibrahim and Timothy Yunusa, have tested positive for the disease.
The owner of the hotel, Innocent Ijeh, also standing trial, however tested negative.
The Magistrate, Safiya Salihu, read the letter from the Bauchi Correctional Centre dated June 11th, 2020, that the four accused were confirmed positive for coronavirus by the National Centre for Disease Control, NCDC.
Mr Ijeh and four others are standing trial for criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide in accordance with sections 96 and 221 of the Penal Code laws.
When the case was mentioned, Police Prosecutor , Sergeant Ayuba told the court that the accused persons could not be brought to court due to the reasons stated in the letter from the Correctional Centre and pleaded for more time.
Ayuba told the court that during the sitting of the court on 5th and 8th of June, the accused persons were ordered to be remanded in Correctional Centre custody.
Salisu, who read the letter dated 11th June, 2020, adjourned the case to 14th of July, 2020, for further mentioning and arraignment.
It will be recalled that on May 25th, 2020, Joshua, a security guard at the Hotel located in Gwallameji, Bauchi was accused of stealing a mobile phone.
Joshua denied the allegation but in the process of trying to extract confession from him, was allegedly tortured by some of his colleagues which led to his death while the missing phone was later returned.
