Photo Credit : The Whistler NG
A Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Mararaba, Nasarawa State on Wednesday granted the application of the State Attorney General to take over and continue the criminal proceedings against a human rights lawyer, Abdul Mahmud pursuant to Section 211(1)(b) of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 (as amended).
SaharaReporters reported on June 27, 2023, that operatives of the Nigeria Police Force arrested a human rights lawyer, Abdul Mahmud for defending neighbours intimidated by an Assistant Commissioner of Police serving with the Multinational Joint Task Force, Zara Muhammed.
It reported that ACP Muhammed had stormed Karu in Nasarawa State two days with some officers and harassed some residents of the area.
In a tweet, Mahmud urged the police to caution its officers.
“A serving Assistant Commissioner of Police serving with the Multinational Joint Task Force is intimidating civilians in Karu, Nasarawa State. @PoliceNG must call its officer to order.”
The police officers later invaded his home and arrested him.
“I have taken the intimidation of citizens too far. Because I defended ordinary citizens intimidated by ACP Zara Muhammed on Sunday in Karu, officers led by Insp Sola Olalekan arrested me in my own home. Headed to the station at Abacha Road, Mararaba @policeng,” he later tweeted.
He was subsequently arraigned in separate criminal charges before a Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Mararaba with the cases being Commissioner of Police v Abdul Mahmud; Commissioner of Police v Abdul Mahmud, and another.
The charge was filed in July 2023 against him by the Nigeria Police Force at the instigation of the ACP Amabua Muhammed.
Mahmud in a statement on Wednesday, which was made available to SaharaReporters, said the matter came up for hearing at the Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Mararaba, Nasarawa State.
According to him, all parties, including the Chief State counsel representing the Hon Attorney General Nasarawa State and the First Vice President of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) were present.
He said, "At the hearing, Chief State Counsel, acting on the instructions of the Honourable Attorney General, applied to take over and continue the criminal proceedings against me, pursuant to Section 211(1)(b) of the Constitution 1999.
"His application was opposed by the police prosecutor who had turned the proceedings into criminal persecution since July when three charges were filed against me."
According to him, the court considered the merit and granted the application of the Attorney General and adjourned the hearing to January 29, 2023.
"My legal team and I welcomed the decision of the Attorney General to stay fidelity to his oath of office and ensure that our Constitution and my procedural rights are protected against the power-hungry ACP who deployed the instruments of the police, including securing the Force HQ legal department to prosecute me," he said.
He expressed hope that the Attorney General of Nasarawa State would in the course of his trial, "see through the pettiness and shenanigans of ACP Amabua Muhammed and @PoliceNG and withdraw the trumped-up charges against me."
Thanking the First Vice President of the NBA, Linda Rose Bwala, for appearing in court today in solidarity, the human rights lawyer vowed that he "shall continue to press on @PSCNigeria (Police Service Commission), @CCBNigeria (Code of Conduct Bureau) and @icpcnigeria (Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission) to investigate ACP Amabua Muhammed for abuse of public office."