Court remands 6 Kaduna Islamiyya teachers

Kaduna Magistrate Court on Monday remanded six teachers of Ahmad Bn Hambal Islamiyya school who were arrested by police to Kaduna Correction facility.Police on September 27 stormed the school in Rigasa, Kaduna where they found more than 300 pupils allegedly being sexually abused and tortured.

The six teachers were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Musa Lawal Mohammed of Court 16.

Those arraigned were Ismail Abubakar, Umar Abubakar, Abdul’azeez Adam, Abubakar Muktar, Abdullahi Auwal and Salisu Ibrahim.

Police Prosecutor Hassan Malan, told the court that the six accused persons were being charged for criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement, cruelty to persons and unnatural act.

The prosecutor, however, said police investigation was still going on.

Counsel to the defendants, Sani Shehu Surajo told the court that the defendants were only at the court for cognisance because the court lacked jurisdiction to take their plea.

He also appealed to the court to allow the defendants to remain in police custody since investigation into their case was yet to be concluded. However, the prosecutor countered it saying the police facility was overstretched.

In his ruling the Chief Magistrate Musa Lawal Muhammed said the court lacked jurisdiction to try the defendants because one of the charges against them was a capital offence which could only be heard by a High Court.

He, therefore, ordered that the defendants to be remanded at Kaduna Correctional Service and adjourned the case to October 29 for further mention.