On 2 September, 2018, at about 8pm, unknown gunmen attacked a shopping complex located at Lafande Community on the outskirt of Jos metropolis in Dura-Du District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
A Plateau State High Court sitting in Jos has revoked the bail for the principal suspect in the murder of the late Nigerian Army’s Major-General Idris Alkali.
On 2 September, 2018, at about 8pm, unknown gunmen attacked a shopping complex located at Lafande Community on the outskirt of Jos metropolis in Dura-Du District of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
As a result of the attack, 11 people were killed while others sustained various degrees of injuries. The attack triggered protest by the people of the area on the morning of 3 September 2018. Irate youths in their hundreds trooped out, blocked the Eastern Bypass with stones and other dangerous objects.
The immediate past Chief of Administration (Army), Major General Idris Alkali who recently disengaged from the Nigerian Army after 35 years meritorious service to the Nigerian Army and the country was travelling from Abuja to Bauchi via Jos same day.
The senior officer was travelling alone in his black Toyota Corolla car with registration number, KWARA MUN 670 AA.
Credible intelligence revealed that his car was stopped and he introduced himself as a general to the hoodlums who had barricaded the road that he was just passing through to Bauchi. The senior officer was assaulted and killed.
About a month later, the army disclosed that the arrested suspects had given credible information about an open shallow grave where the General’s body was initially buried at Dura but later exhumed when his car was discovered.
The Plateau State High Court had in 2019 granted bail to seven persons accused of killing the late army general, Idris Alkali.
The suspects were arraigned for allegedly being complicit in the killing of the former Chief of Administration, Army Headquarters, who was killed while on his way from Abuja to Bauchi.
The court earlier granted bail to 20 other suspects.
They were standing trial on a five-count charge of criminal conspiracy, culpable homicide, failure to give information to security agents of a crime, unlawful assembly for the purpose of committing an offence, and resisting search for the late general.
Daily Trust reports that in court on Wednesday, the principal suspect, Stephen Shuwang, was conspicuously absent in court as prosecuting witness who took his statement was meant to present his witnesses.
Stephen Chuwang is the first among the 23 suspects standing trial for a five-count charge over the killing of Gen Idris Alkali in Jos in October 2018.
The absence of the first suspect attracted the eagle eye of the prosecuting counsel, Simon Mom Esq, who immediately raised an objection.
The prosecuting counsel argued that in a case of culpable homicide, witnesses cannot be taken in the absence of the principal suspect in court. While he stressed that no excuse has been given for the absence of the first suspect.
Presiding judge, Justice Aroun Ashom in his ruling upheld the objection of the prosecuting counsel, saying it is abnormal to take witnesses in the absence of the first suspect, especially when the reason for such absence was not known to the court.
Justice Ashom said, “The court is in agreement with the prosecuting counsel and the bail granted the first suspect, Stephen Shuwang, is hereby revoked”.
He thereafter adjourned the case to the 6th and 15th of December 2022 and the wanted suspect to be brought to court unfailingly.