Agaju Madugba
22 February 2003
Kaduna — The Kaduna State government is set to prosecute a prominent traditional ruler, the Sakin Numana, in Sanga local government area, Alhaji Ahmadu Mohammed Yakubu, over the November 2001 religious riots in Sanga.
Six other persons are also to be prosecuted for criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, rioting, and unlawful possession of dangerous weapons.
They are Habu Monday, Haruna Anta, Abdulraman Shuaibu, Adamu Yohanna, Samaila Danjuma and Ezekiel Audu.
According to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) at the state's ministry of Justice, the traditional ruler will be prosecuted under section 114 of the penal code while the other suspects will be tried under section 97, 102, 106 and 337 of the penal code.
In a letter with reference number LIT 4IV LXIV/109/03 dated February 13, 2003, from the office of the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, addressed to the Assistant Commissioner of police in charge of the CID, investigations in the 2001 riots did not reveal any facts to warrant the prosecution of Dr. Frank Bala Baba who was chairman of Sanga local government council then.
The letter, signed by S.C Bitrus, said, "the brief facts of the case are that between 31/10/2001 and 2/11.2001, the second suspect (Alhaji Ahmadu Mohammed Yakubu) who was Chief of Numana in Sanga local government area of Kaduna State, feel the Christian and Muslim faithfuls in the area with malicious.
"The first suspect (Dr. Frank Bala Baba) who was the chairman of Sanga local government area was confronted with complaints by the Christians who were not comfortable with the second suspects interpretation of the new legal reforms.
"In the midst of that confusion, the faithfuls of both religious were incited into confrontation and riots which resulted in the wanton destruction of lives and property.
"Investigations revealed that about 11 people were killed while several others were injured, houses and crops burnt.
"Further investigations led to the arrest of the suspects for the various roles they played during the crisis."
The Attorney-General urged the police to terminate criminal proceedings against the former local government chairman, the former local government chairman, along with 15 others for want of incriminating facts and materials against them.
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