Ten days after a Federal High Court sitting in Jos granted bail to three suspects being tried over alleged illegal tax collection, they are still languishing in the Correctional Centre. This is because the Police Command in Plateau has declined to take them on bail as ordered by Justice Musa Kurya, the Presiding Judge in the matter being prosecuted by the police.
Justice Kurya had on July 20 granted bail to the suspects, Alhaji Sule Yaro, Adamu Ibrahim and Austin Obeh, after listening to the bail application raised by their (suspect’s) counsel, Mr Samson Bukar. Kurya had ordered the Police Prosecution Counsel, Mr N.K. Tali and the Investigation Police Officer (IPO) One Wahav, to take the suspects on bail and adjourned the case to Oct. 29 for hearing.
But the Prosecution Counsel in a chat with newsmen in Jos on why they have complied with the order said, “The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) is regimental institution and has no such right or power to take any suspect on bail in any court case.” “The law is clear about this and we can’t go against the law simply because there is a court ruling.
“Even the defense counsels know that fact, which explained why they quickly prepared a motion challenging the court ruling, but which couldn’t be heard before the court went in vocation on Friday, July 24,” Tali explained.
