°CAN, IPOB, Igbo in the North reject verdictFrom Desmond Mgboh/Kano
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Igbo Delegate Assembly in the 19 Northern States (IDA) have expressed disappointment over the discharge of the five suspects accused of murdering Mrs. Bridget Agbaheme.
A Kano Magistrate Court, presided by Muhammad Jibril, discharged the suspects, after a no -case submission was entered by the Attorney General of Kano State on the matter.
Both associations insisted that there were direct and sufficient evidences to prosecute the suspects contrary to the advice of the Attorney General of the state to the magistrate court.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in the state.
Bishop Ransom Bello, in an interview with Saturday Sun, remarked that the verdict was totally unacceptable adding that the Christian community was grossly disappointed.
He recalled that the state government had pledged to ensure that justice was done in the case but said that the verdict was a far cry from the promises made to religions and community leaders by the government.
He feared that the verdict was capable of setting a negative precedence for other Attorneys-General on how to abort criminal cases, which affect the interests of their indigenes.
He said that CAN was reviewing the situation and would make a formal statement after its deliberation on the matter in the coming days.
In the same vein, the Igbo Delegate Assembly (IDA) in the 19 Northern States and Abuja, (comprising all the Igbo community associations in the19 Northern States), has rejected the verdict of the Kano magistrate court, saying that it was in very bad taste.
President of the Assembly, Chief Chi Nwogwu, while speaking with Saturday Sun explained that, “Igbo in general condemn the discharge of the five persons accused of the murder of our dear sister and loving mother, Mrs. Bridget Agbaheme.”
He noted that the very dramatic manner in which the suspects were discharged by the magistrate had gone a long way in reviving the pains and agony felt by the deceased immediate family, the Igbo people, the Christian community in Nigeria and by all lovers of justice.He asked the Igbo community in the state and beyond to remain calm and prayerful in the light of the sad development, even as he appealed to the governors of the Eastern States to undertake firm measures to protect the interests of Igbo people resident outside Igboland.The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) Worldwide has condemned the judgment.
A statement by Media and Publicity of IPOB, Mr. Emma Powerful condemned the judgment in its totality, alleging that the magistrate and the state government were instrumental to the killing of an innocent woman who committed no crime against Islam.
According to him, “this is what IPOB preached that the Christians in Nigeria and the people of Biafra to leave the north and come back home and make their lives better and stay in a place where their lives will be protected. This concocted judgment by the killers in the northern part of Nigeria indicates that they are not wanted in the northern territories”.
Recall that Alhaji Dauda Ahmed,Abdulrahaman Mustafa, Zubairu Abubakar, Abdullahi Abubakar and Musa Abdullahi, all accused persons in the case regained their freedom after a few months in custody.
The deceased, a -74 year old mother was murdered by the released persons at Kofar Wambai market on June 2, 2016 over alleged act of blasphemy.
