A magistrates’ court sitting in Birnin Kebbi has struck out a contempt case filed against a factional chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Safiyanu Bala.
At the continuation of the hearing, the defendant was brought to court from the hospital to stand trial.
During the session, senior state prosecutor Hanafi Dan-Maigoro informed the court that he had realised the same case was still pending before the high court.
He therefore urged the court to strike it out, enabling the parties to face their case at the high court.
The representative of the defence counsel, Mudasir Sani, concurred with the state prosecutor, saying there was evidence that the same case was before the high court in Birnin Kebbi.
In his ruling, the magistrate, Abubakar Abdullahi-Koko, said, “Based on the submissions of both counsels, the case is hereby struck out.”
Safiyanu Bala, the factional chairman loyal to Abubakar Chika-Malami, was dragged to court by Abdulrazak Abubakar, another ADC factional chairman, for allegedly violating a court order and inciting public disobedience before the Chief Magistrates’ Court I, Birnin Kebbi.
At the last sitting, counsel to the defendant, Ahmad Fingilla, walked out of the court when the magistrate refused to recuse himself from the case after being accused of bias and having an interest in the matter before him.
(NAN)
