Kano — Kano State government has requested that three Americans, namely, Dr. Scott Hopkins, Dr. Deborah Williams, and Michel Dunne, be extradited and tried as they were suspected to be directly responsible as research field officers for the trial of the drug Trovan.

This was revealed to the court yesterday by the Kano State director of public prosecution (DPP), Sulaiman Bala Na-Malam.

The director explained that the reason behind the writing of the application was because the three persons were the offenders and there was a need for the attorney general of the federation to liaise with the American judiciary and the Embassy officials with a view to extradite the persons under the mutual assistance programme for extradition of offenders.

Na-Malam stated that there were 65 charges against the three persons which are genuine and punishable. He also told the court that they are still awaiting final report over the matter, adding that the application for the arrest of the accused persons was done under section 47/1 of the CPC for someone to be issued before the court when he was offended.

During yesterday's sitting, four other accused persons were in court, while Mazi Sam Ohunbunwa , the former managing director of Pfizer now managing director of Neimeth Pharmaceutical Plc, was represented by his counsel, Mr. Samuel A. Nwakohu.

Both Na-Malam and Mr. Nelson Nwaku, the counsel for the 6th, 7th and 8th respondents, have asked the court to fix the 4th of March, 2008 for the hearing of the case to enable them prepare well.

The judge, Justice Shehu Atiku agreed with their demand and adjourned the case to the 4th March, 2008.