The Court of Appeal in Abuja, on Friday, refused the applications for bail of suspects allegedly associated with some Kogi State politicians.
The appellants/applicants’ motion for bail had earlier been refused by Justice Jamil Isah of the Kogi State High Court, sitting in Lokoja.
The Court of Appeal, presided over by Justice Mohammed Mustapha, in a well considered judgement delivered on Friday, in the appeals marked “CA/ABJ/PRE/CR/544MI/2023”, also refused their bail applications.
Ojonimi Apeh, Esq, appeared for the appellants/applicants, while Badama Kadiri, Esq (DPP) appeared for the respondent.
The appellants – Kabiri Echi Iyalo, Adama Kerim, Kabir Abdullahi and Salisu Isah Umar – were intercepted during a joint operation of security agencies on their way to Abuja on March 26, according to a statement by the spokesperson for the Department of State Services, DSS, Peter Afunanya, on that day.
The suspects were found with dangerous arms and ammunition in their vehicle after credible intelligence was made available to security agencies.
The security agents got information that thugs loyal to some politicians who were disgruntled over the Kogi State All Progressives Congress, APC, gubernatorial screening exercise, were planning to storm the venue of the screening in Abuja to disrupt the exercise.
The applicants were charged and arraigned before Kogi State High Court for offences bordering on criminal conspiracy, terrorism and unlawful possession of weapons contrary to sections 97, 418 and 424, respectively.
Their motion for bail was refused by the Kogi State High Court, sitting in Lokoja.
Thereafter, in a bid to secure the bail of the defendants, their counsel filed an application for bail pending appeal and filed an interlocutory appeal at the same time.
The counsel for the respondents, on behalf of the State, opposed the application for bail separately filed for each of the four appellants/applicants.
