Court asks police to release ex-commissioner, Bwala

ABorno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri yesterday ordered the Nigeria Police to release a former commissioner in the state, Mr. Inuwa Bwala who has been detained over an alleged attempt to murder the current state deputy governor, Usman Durkwa, in March 2015.

Justice Hadiza Ali Jos of Borno state High Court Number 14 said the police had violated the law by detaining the duo of Bwala and his driver Muhammed Audu, beyond two days without trial.

The High Court judge had also questioned the police for disregarding the health condition of Mr. Bwala by keeping him in detention beyond the time limit prescribed by law. It was gathered that a police squad sent all the way from Maiduguri, Borno state capital arrested Bwala and his driver while on their way to office in Abuja.

The Borno state police commissioner, Damian Chukwu had two weeks ago explained that he sanctioned the arrest of Bwala because a court declared him wanted over the attempted murder of the state deputy governor Usman Durkwa who was attacked during the 2015 election when he was a commissioner.

Bwala had severally denied such allegation as he said he was not in his home town Marama when Durkwa was attacked.

The health of the Abujabased publisher, who has been a diabetic and BP patient, allegedly deteriorated while in the cell.

The lead council to Mr. Inuwa Bwala, Barrister Zanna Hamza, said the publisher and his driver, Muhammed Audu were also asking the court to compel the police to release them, apologize for their action and grant them a N2 billion compensation.