11th August, 2010
A Katsina State High Court sitting in Malumfashi has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of an ex-police sergeant, Umar Sani, who is standing trial for alleged culpable homicide.
Justice Abbas Bawale gave the order in Malumfashi on Tuesday at the resumed hearing of the case.
The judge gave the order when he discovered that neither the accused person nor his sureties or the defence counsel appeared in court and no explanation was offered for their absence.
Sani, 48, was accused of killing one Surajo Muhammad of Yargoje village in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The accused was alleged to have beaten Muhammad to death on Sept. 23, 2007, while serving at Yargoje police outpost.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sani was charged with culpable homicide, an offence that contravened Section 221 of the Penal Code.
The accused person had, however, pleaded not guilty when the case was first mentioned.
When the case came up on Tuesday, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Aminu Garba, told the court that he was ready to continue with the case as two prosecution witnesses were in court.
Garba prayed the court to revoke the bail earlier granted to the accused person.
He also asked the court to issue a bench warrant for his arrest and to summon his sureties to give account of their absence.
Bawale granted the prayers of the counsel and adjourned the case to Oct. 4, for hearing.