The hope of Alhaji Yerima Shetima Usman, the President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYC), to regain his freedom from the custody of the State Security Service (SSS), has been dashed.
He was on Wednesday sent back to the agency’s custody after being granted bail by the court.
Yerima was charged before the Chief Magistrate’s Court, Ogudu, Kosofe Local Government Area, Lagos on a two-count charge of conspiracy and illegal recruitment and training of some Hausa youths as members of a para-military.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Count one reads: “That you, Yerima Shetima Usman, between the month of January and February, 2009, at Idi-Araba High School, Mushin, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, on every Sunday between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. conspired with others now at large to commit felony, to wit, misdemeanour and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code, Cap.17, Vol. II, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2004.”
Count two reads: “That you, Yerima Shettima Usman, with others now at large on the same time and place in the Lagos Magisterial District conduct yourself in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by recruiting and training some Hausa youths for para-military duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249 (d) of the Criminal Code, Cap.17, Vol. II, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2004.”
He was not represented by any counsel during the proceedings.
He was granted bail in the sum of N1,000,000 with two sureties by Mrs. Adeola O. Adedayo, the court magistrate.
The magistrate ordered further that one of the sureties must be a religious leader or traditional ruler in Lagos State and second surety must be a landed property owner within Lagos magisterial district and 10 per cent of the bail amount be paid into an interest yielding account of the court.
The case has been adjourned till 24 June, 2009.
He was taken back into the agency’s custody in a white Toyota Hiace bus marked BJ76EKY by four SSS operatives who brought him to the court.
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