Criminal State
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Nigeria’s Kano state clears House majority leader Alhassan Doguwa of murder after he was accused of killing three people with his personal pistol on election day
In a shocking development few days to inauguration of new National Assembly members, Kano state attorney general and commissioner for justice, Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, on Thursday, absolved the majority leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, of alleged murder.
It should be recalled that during the presidential and national assembly elections on February 25, Doguwa a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State was alleged to have killed three people with his pistol during the collation of results.
He was later arrested at the Aminu Kano International Airport by a combined team of police detectives and state security operatives as he attempted to flee to Saudi Arabia.
Abdullahi-Lawan, briefing newsmen in Kano, said that based on the foregoing facts and observations, the ministry could not substantiate charges of criminal conspiracy, mischief by fire, and culpable homicide against Doguwa.
Thereby the Director of Public Prosecutions will drop the murder charge.
“We cannot find sufficient evidence to link Doguwa with the said offences, considering that we are faced with so many inculpatory and exculpatory evidence for and against him,” Abdullahi-Lawan said.
He said that the statements of those that implicated Doguwa were full of contradictions and could not find medical evidence to prove the death of the victims.
“The law is clear that the allegations that Mr Doguwa killed people cannot be substantiated. We are variably guided by the findings of the investigations of the Police as contained in the case diary sent from the FCID devoid of sentiments, fear or favour,” he said.
Abdullahi-Lawan noted that the pistol and 30 rounds of live ammunition were recovered from the second and third suspects who were aids to Doguwa, adding that investigation reveals that the ammunition given to them by ballistic states was found intact.
“Some of the witnesses said Doguwa carried a Dane gun while some said it was a pistol.
“No bullet shell was recovered at the scene, only one knife, cutlass and charm,” he said.
Abdullahi-Lawan reiterated the ministry’s commitment to ensuring ultimate dispensation of Justice, equity and fairness irrespective of who it favours.
He added that eight to 12 other suspects would be charged to court with mischief by the fire under section 336 of the Penal Code as amended.
Mr Doguwa was arraigned before a Senior Magistrate on March 1, for alleged murder and was admitted to N500 million bail by a Federal High Court, Kano, on March 6.
Akowe with reports from Abuja
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