•Report by Kamil Opeyemi
A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has granted bail to the House of Representatives Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, who was standing trial over alleged culpable homicide.
The court granted the bail on Monday, March 6th, 2023.
Earlier, a Senior Magistrate Court in Kano had remanded Alhassan Ado Doguwa until Tuesday, March 7th over charges of public disturbance, among others.
However, in an exparte application for the enforcement of the rights of Doguwa moved by Barrister Nuraini Jimoh, the counsel urged the court to release the accused on bail.
Justice Muhammad Nasir-Yunus, admitted the applicant to bail in the sum of N500 million and two reliable sureties.
He said one of the sureties must be a first class traditional ruler, while the second surety must be a State or Federal Permanent Secretary.
“The applicant must submit his International Passport to the court registry and should not visit his constituency until after the March 11 Governorship Election,” Nasir-Yunus said.
It was gathered that, many lawyers in the court called the attention of the judge to the motion, but it was ignored as the application was granted.
It is expected that the case will continue to attract attention in the coming weeks, as both the prosecution and defence teams gear up for the trial proper. The outcome of the case will undoubtedly have significant implications, not only for Alhassan Ado Doguwa but also for the political landscape in Kano and Nigeria as a whole.
The case has been adjourned till April 10th, 2023, for further hearing.