Photo: Prof Zainab Abiola.
A Wuse Zone 6 Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja on Friday remanded Prof. Zainab Abiola, a widow of the late Chief MKO Abiola, who allegedly assaulted her police orderly, in a correctional facility.
Abiola was arraigned alongside her housemaid, Rebecca Enechido,
The defendants, who live in Garki, Abuja were charged with criminal conspiracy, attempt to commit culpable homicide, causing grievous hurt without provocation, criminal intimidation and intentional insult with intent to cause breach of peace.
The defendants however pleaded not guiltily when the charges were read before them.
Magistrate Elizabeth Wonu, therefore, ordered that they should be remanded in the Suleja Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter until Oct. 5, for hearing.
Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, ASP Stanley Nwafoaku told the court that the complainant, Insp Teju Moses of Special Protection Unit, Force Headquarters, reported the matter at the Garki Police Station on Sept. 20.
Nwafoaku alleged that on Sept.19, Abiola ordered the complainant to pick her bag and keep same in her car, ordered her to open the gate while it was raining but she said she could not do such in her uniform.
The prosecution counsel added that on Sept.20, Abiola also ordered the complainant to wash her car carpet and she told her that she could not do so as she was already in her police uniform.
He also alleged that Abiola started raining insults on the complainant and instructed the second defendant, Enechido to do same.
The prosecutor added that later that day when the complainant went to pick her belongings, the defendants attacked her with one Ugo, who is currently at large.
He added that the first defendant hit her with with a metal object on her head thereby inflicting an injury on her head before a passerby rescued her.
The prosecutor said the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 97, 229,247,397 and 399 of the Penal Code Law.
The defendants’ counsel, Mr Hassan Yusuf made an oral application for bail and prayed the court to grant his clients bail in the most liberal terms citing Section 36 ( 5) of Constitution of Nigeria 1999 as amended.
The counsel also cited Section 162 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act ( ACJA), 2015.
The court in its ruling however denied the defendant bail and instead ordered the defendants to be remanded in prison custody until Oct.5.
Abiola pleaded with the court to allow her remain at the Garki Police Station where she had been in custody since Sept. 20.
The remand warrant that was signed by the magistrate was for Suleja Correctional Centre.
Prior to the reading of the First Information Report ( FIR) to enable the defendants take their plea, the magistrate stated that the court did not have jurisdiction to entertain the case because of the charge of attempt to commit culpable homicide.
However, the prosecutor drew the attention of the court to the provision of Section 227 of the Penal Code which allows the High Court and Grade I Native Court to entertain charges under Section 229 and that the Magistrate Court shared concurrent jurisdiction with a Grade 1 Native Court.
The first defendant is a widow of the late M.K.O Abiola, the assumed winner of Nigeria’s 1993 presidential election that was annulled by the military government General Ibrahim Babangida.
