After over two decades of legal ‘limbo’, an Upper Shari’a Court sitting in Rijiyar Lemo, Kano, has acquitted a man charged with manslaughter following the court’s finding that the charges against him were not properly constituted.
Sabi’u Aliyu of Unguwa Uku was first arraigned in 2002 on allegations of causing the death of a cyclist, Ibrahim Wada Musa, in a vehicular accident. He was granted bail shortly after his arraignment.
However, the trial stalled for years following the destruction of the court building during a civil unrest that rocked the city. For 23 years, the case remained dormant, until it was recently revived by the prosecution.
Upon the reintroduction of the case, the defence counsel challenged the validity of the fresh charges, arguing that the delay in re-filing the case violated legal procedure and the defendant’s right to a fair trial. He urged the court to strike out the matter entirely.
In his ruling, Khadi Aliyu Jibrin Danzaki upheld the argument of the defence, stating that the long delay had rendered the prosecution’s case defective. He subsequently acquitted and discharged the defendant.
Sabi’u Aliyu, now in his late forties, expressed relief over the court’s decision, noting that the prolonged uncertainty had weighed heavily on him and his family.
