BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
Barely four days after the gruesome murder of Miss Deborah Samuel, a 200-level student of Shehu Shagari College of Education, (SSCOE) Sokoto, Deborah Samuel, who was accused of blasphemy, the police on Monday said it have arraigned two of the suspects – Bilyaminu Aliyu and Aminu Hukunchi before the Magistrate Court.
Both suspects who pleaded not guilty to the charges are also students of the SSCOE, Sokoto.
Though, information from the Police First Information Report has it that the wo were arraigned because of the mob action that led to the death and subsequent setting ablaze of the Miss Deborah.
While at the Court, the police prosecutor, Inspector Khalil Musa, sought for an adjournment to enable them complete their investigation after the two suspects pleaded not guilty.
Following the adjournment plea by the prosecutor, the 34 defence counsels led by Professor Mansur Ibrahim did not oppose the application, rather pleaded with the court to grant the defendants bail, citing sections 157, 161(a,f) and 164 of the administration of criminal justice law of Sokoto state, as well as 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.
The presiding magistrate, however, adjourned ruling on the application to a later date which he insisted would be communicated to the lawyers in due course.
He therefore directed that the defendants be remanded at the Sokoto Correctional Centre pending the date.
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