The Inspector General of Police Investigation team has completed its assignment and submitted its findings to the Kano State Ministry of Justice in the case of alleged culpable homicide against House of Representatives Majority Leader Alhassan Ado Doguwa.
Already, the Kano Ministry of Justice is reportedly planning to charge Doguwa fully.
Musa Abdullahi Lawan, Kano State’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, confirmed on Friday that the police had submitted the case file for review and possible next steps.
Addressing journalists in his office shortly after he received the diary on Friday afternoon, he said: “I will like to assure the general public that within a very short possible time, we are going to study the case diary with a view to giving our legal advice on it.”
Recall that the Kano Attorney General informed the public that the ministry had sent the case diary back to the police for further investigation, asking that they provide more details on the allegations against the defendant to warrant the Ministry of Justice to prosecute Doguwa.
The exhibits being demanded by the ministry include pictures of the corpses, witness statements, and the gun recovered, among other exhibits that will enable the prosecution to prove the alleged offences as charged.
The Kano State Command of the Nigeria Police arrested and charged Doguwa, alongside others, for alleged criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide. He was also charged with causing grievous harm, mischief by fire, and inciting disturbance.
The police prosecutor told the court that Doguwa allegedly committed the offence on February 26 in Tudun Wada Local Government Area of Kano State.
The police said the offences are contrary to sections 97, 114, 221, 247 and 336 of the Penal Code.
Doguwa was initially charged at a magistrate court in Kano, but his lawyer approached the Federal High Court and sought his bail while questioning the jurisdiction of the magistrate court to entertain the case.
However, in an ex parte application for the enforcement of his rights, Doguwa’s counsel, Nuraini Jimoh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), appealed to the court to release the accused on bail on the ground that the magistrate court has no jurisdiction to entertain the case.
The judge, Yunusa Muhammad, granted him bail in the sum of N500 million, with the condition that the suspect must provide two sureties, one of whom shall be a first-class traditional ruler and the other a permanent secretary at the Federal Civil Service.
Recently, a retired Chief Magistrate in Kano, Muntari Garba Dandago, filed a suit before the Kano State High Court, asking it to grant him leave for the court to issue an order of mandamus against the Kano State Attorney General for not prosecuting the majority leader.
Meanwhile, the case was scheduled for hearing on Monday, May 8, 2023, but could not continue due to the absence of the judge, who was said to be away for election petition tribunal duties in Adamawa State.