Alleged Murder Case: Kano AG directed to file charges against Doguwa, co-conspirators

Alleged Murder Case: Kano AG directed to file charges against Doguwa, co-conspirators

Story from Saleh INUWA, Kano

Kano State’s Attorney General (AG), Musa Abdullahi Lawan, has been ordered by the Kano State High Court to immediately file a charge against the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, and his alleged co-conspirators over an alleged killing of a resident of the state.

The order was made by Justice Maryam Sabo after Kano Retired Chief Magistrate, Muntari Garba Dandago, applied for an order of mandamus to compel the AG to file the charge.

An Order of Mandamus is a judicial writ issued as a command to an inferior court or ordering a person to perform a public or statutory duty.

The order was made following an ex parte application filed by Counsel to the Applicant, Y.I Shariff.

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The motion ex parte had 19 paragraphs of affidavit in support duly sworn to by the applicant himself. The affidavit was dated April 5, 2023, while the written address filed by the Applicant Counsel was dated 10th April 2023.

In delivering a ruling on the motion, Justice Sabo granted leave to the Applicant to apply for the issuance of an order of mandamus against the respondent, which is the Attorney General of Kano State.

The order would compel him to exercise his power under section 211 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) to immediately file a charge against Doguwa and his alleged co-conspirators for the offences of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, mischief, incitement of public disturbance, and possession of firearms before a court of competent jurisdiction.

The Court adjourned the case to May 12, 2023, for the hearing of the motion on notice.

However, in a chat with the Kano AG, he informed the press that the state Ministry for Justice was still waiting for the Nigeria Police to complete their investigation and bring back the case file.

He added that the Police had written to the ministry officials that the Inspector General of Police (IGP) had taken over the investigation and had already assigned a special team headed by an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) from Headquarters to conduct the investigation into the incident.