- A Makurdi Chief Magistrate's court has ordered that the six herdsmen accused of carrying out the New Years Day attack in the state should be remanded in jail
- The principal state counsel had urged the court not to grant bail to the accused persons, and applied for an adjournment
- The plea was granted and the case was adjourned till March 29 for ruling on application for bail and April 11 for hearing of substantive suit
The six herdsmen arrested over the New Year day attacks on Guma and Logo local government areas of Benue state have been denied bail by a Makurdi Chief Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Mr Isaac Ajim, Vanguard reports.
Ajim had ordered that the accused persons - Ibrahim Saleh, Jibrin Adamu, Magaji Yau, Ibrahim Abubakar, Useni Bala and Sabin Yau - be remanded in Makurdi Medium Prison when they were first arraigned on January 5.
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NAIJ.com gathers that the suspects were charged with violation of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017, culpable homicide, criminal conspiracy, mischief by fire and grievous hurt.
The principal state counsel, Mike Abenga, applied for an adjournment in order to allow for conclusion of legal advice; and urged the court not to grant bail to the accused persons.
His application was not opposed by the counsel to the defendants, Mustapha Elegu.
The judge subsequently granted Abenga’s application, stating that the suspects had committed grievous offences.
The case was adjourned till March 29 for ruling on application for bail and April 11 for hearing of substantive suit; and the accused were ordered to be remanded at the Makurdi Federal Medium Prisons.
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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that Nigerian army troops of the 707 Special Forces Brigade arrested two armed herdsmen along Gbajimba-Iyiodeh road in Guma local government area of Benue state.
The herdsmen were arrested while reportedly converging to destroy a fish farm belonging to the governor of the state, Samuel Ortom.
The assistant director, army public relations of 707 Special Forces Brigade headquarters in Makurdi, Major Olabisi Ayeni, said that the arrest was made when the troops sighted a group of the herders militias while on their daily patrol.
Victims of herdsmen killing buried in Benue state - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng