15th June, 2012
A Jos Chief Magistrates’ Court on Thursday ordered that a 20-year-old man, Joseph Briggs to be remanded in prison custody for beating his mother, Mrs. Grace Briggs.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs. Talatu Gada, gave the order when the accused appeared before her on one count charge of assault.
Gada said the court decided to reject the bail application because the police had not concluded their investigations into the matter.
She said that since the accused always beat his mother whenever his demands were not met, he should spend some days in prison custody before his bail application would be considered.
Earlier, the police prosecutor, Mr. Ado Ali, had told the court that the accused committed the offence on June 1, at about 9 p.m.
He said that Mr. John Briggs, the elder brother of the accused, reported the matter to the police on the same day at about 10 p.m.
“The complainant informed the police that the accused was aggrieved with their mother for not giving him money,” Ali said.
Ali quoted the complainant as saying that the accused not only refused to attend university, but also refused to join the family in doing business.
“That is what made our mother to stop giving him money,” Ali quoted the elder brother as telling the police.
The complainant added that their mother’s decision made the accused angry, a development which made him beat up their mother anytime his demands for money were not met.
Ali said that the accused committed an offence contrary to Section 266 of the Penal Code.
When the case came up for hearing, the accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and applied to the court for bail.
But the prosecutor objected to the bail application on the grounds that the police had not concluded their investigations.
The chief magistrate ordered that the accused be sent to prison and adjourned the case to July 14, when the court would rule on the application for bail.