A Magistrate’s court, sitting in Kano on Monday suspended its earlier order for the revocation of a bail granted to a former Kano state Commissioner of Works, Muaz Magaji.
Magaji, who is a critic of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, is facing four counts bordering on defamation of character, intentional insult, injurious falsehood and inciting disturbance against the governor.
The outlined charges, all of which he pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on January 31, contravened Sections 392, 399 and 114 of the Administration of Criminal Justice of Kano State 1999.
However, he was later granted bail in the sum of N1million, with two sureties.
Earlier, Magistrate Aminu Gabari granted an order for the revocation of Magaji’s bail over his inability to appear before the court but later suspended the order when he later appeared.
Magaji was in court from Friday morning till late afternoon when the Judge informed the Registrar that he would not be able to sit on that day.
The court, therefore, fixed Monday 2 pm after the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA Kano Law Week event for the continuation of the hearing.
But the court reportedly sat at 1pm and granted the application of the prosecution counsel, W.A. Wada, for the revocation of the bail.
Magaji, who appeared in the court, alongside his lawyer, Gazali Ahmad, at the appointed time (2pm), was informed that the court had already sat an hour earlier and revoked the bail application in their absence.
Not satisfied, with the development, Magaji’s lawyer challenged the decision of the court in the Magistrate’s chamber, arguing that they were not responsible for the miscommunication, explaining that his client had appeared at the appointed time given by the court registry.
Shortly after listening to Ahmad’s argument (Magaji’s lawyer) in the chamber, the judge suspended the revocation of the bail, as well as the bench warrant for the arrest of Magaji.
The defense counsel, therefore, made a formal application for the suspension of the order to be heard in the next adjourned date.
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