By Ummi Ismaeel,
Minna
Trouble brews in Niger State as many placard-carrying young men besieged the Federal High Court premises in Minna, the state capital, in protest over what they termed, “endless and needless trials” of the immediate past governor, Dr. Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu; and his erstwhile Chief of Staff, Umar Mohammed Nasko.
Aliyu and Nasko are standing trial in an alleged financial misappropriation, but the protesters called for the discontinuation of the trial on Wednesday.
The placards, with several inscriptions, decried the apparent vested interest from “external forces” on the case against the clear position and stance of the Court, which struck out the case about two weeks ago after over three years of sittings.
Some of the inscriptions read: “Who is intimidating the judiciary?”, “Those behind this trial are enemies of our common good,” “End this sham of trials”, “Enough is enough”, “Dr. Babangida Aliyu is being witch-hunted”.
The protesters, in face masks and strict observance to social distancing, asked from the contents of the placards; “Where is Justice in this trial”?, “End this charade of trials”, “The Court has spoken”. Who is dictating for the Judiciary?
The protesters stood on the road median of the Minna western by-pass highway and its fringes without obstructing any traffic and disrupting the day’s Court sitting.
They said that it was rather strange to return a case that has been struck out by the same Court.
Meanwhile, the case was adjourned to October 18, 2020.