Date: 2017-04-27

The Magistrate Court sitting in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, yesterday ordered the remand of 14-year-old, Qudus Zakariyau and three others for allegedly shooting one Mumini Ahmed.

According to police investigation, Zakariyau and his cohorts; Ibrahim Usman, Oyewole Michael and Shehu Alaya are members of Eiye confraternity who played active roles in the recent cult clashes in the metropolis.

The dastard act allegedly carried out on Ahmed, who was said to be member of a rival cult group and cousin of Zakariyau led to the amputation of the former's leg.

The quartet were yesterday arraigned on the charge of Criminal Conspiracy, causing grievous hurt, attempt to commit culpable homicide and being members of secret cult contrary to section 97, 248, 230 of Penal Code law, section 2 and punishable under section 14 of Secret Cult and Secret Societies (Prohibition) Law 2016.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) obtained from the court by this medium, it revealed that on April 10, 2017 the principal accused person and his colleagues armed with locally made pistol, stormed the victim's residence and shot him on the shoulder and leg.

At the resume hearing on Wednesday, Magistrate Muhammed Ibrahim noted that the court will not be able to proceed on the case owing to 'time constraint'. He stressed that the case is not ripe for hearing because it was brought before him on Monday – less than the 48 hours permitted by the law.

Meanwhile, on the last adjourned date, the prosecutor, Inspector Nasir Yusuf told the court that the principal accused person and the victim are cousins from the same compound, adding that they however belong to different fraternities.

He had also established that the victim was shot at his residence following the facade call the principal accused put through to the cell phone of the victim, that he should come out to see him for an issue.

"The principal accused person has once confessed to the police that he deceived his cousin with a call. He called him out that he wants to see him and immediately he came out, they opened fire on him, in fact, they intended to kill him. The leg was seriously damaged and it was discovered that it can't be managed and was amputated.

He however prayed the court to remand them as the trial lasts.

Also, counsel to the first accused, Barr. Toyin Onaolapo submitted that his client was a minor who is not up to 18 years as the police charge sheet stipulated adding that Qudus is only 14 and that the parents had confirmed it. He prayed the court not to send him to prison but to juvenile delinquency home where he would be re-oriented.

The magistrate in his ruling submitted that he would have sent the first accused to a juvenile home but since none was functioning in the state, he however adjourned the case to May 4 and 2017 and ordered that the culprits be remanded at Oke-Kura prison.