Court remands Deji Adeyanju in prison until February 2019

A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kano, on Friday, ordered that political activist, Deji Adeyanju, be remanded in prison until February 2019. The police had dragged Deji before the court for the reopening of a murder case which he was discharged and acquitted for by the Kano State High Court following a lengthy trial that lasted between 2005 and 2009.

Deji was first arraigned before the magistrate court on Wednesday December 19th. At the hearing of his bail appliaction today, Magistrate Hassan Fagge, said his court lacked jurisdiction to hear the murder charges against Adeyanju. He however ordered that Adeyanju should be remanded in prison custody till February 6th when a higher court could be available to hear the matter.

Deji who was rearrested by the police in December 13th, was detained for over a week before he was arraigned before the Magistrate court on Wednesday December 19th. His bail application came up for hearing today.

Reacting to the decision by the magistrate court, Adeyanju's lawyer, Yusuf Suleiman, told PREMIUM TIMES, that the decision by the court shows that the Federal government was out to deal with anyone that criticizes their government.

“This is clearly an attempt to keep him unlawfully in detention.  After detaining him in Abuja for several days without arraignment, in violation of the Constitution that gives a maximum 48 years for such detention, they now charged him for attempted murder which the magistrate said he has no power to hear. Now a lower court is hearing a matter that the Kano State High Court had decided long ago'' Suleiman said

The lawyer said they would be appealing the magistrate court's decision.