Offa bank robbery: Court refuses bail for Kwara Gov’s Chief of Staff

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday rejected the application for bail filed by Yusuf Abdulwahab , the Chief of Staff to Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State.
Abdulawahab is , among other suspects , held in Police custody in Abuja in connection with the April 5 , 2018 bank robbery incident in Offa , Kwara State .

The Police confirmed that 33 persons , including pregnant women , and nine Police officers died in the incident , which drew public outrage.

Ruling on Thursday on the bail application by Abdulwahab , Justice Babatunde Quadri rejected it on the grounds that the subject matter of the case was outside the jurisdiction of his court .

The judge then ordered the transfer of the case to the High Court of Kwara State , which he said had the requisite jurisdiction to hear and determine the case .

Abdulwahab had earlier commenced the suit via an ex parte motion marked FHC /ABJ / CS / 624 / 18 , praying for an order granting him bail from police custody.

But the judge rejected the ex parte motion , and chose to direct the applicant to serve the respondent , who is the Inspector General of Police , Mr . Ibrahim Idris , to show cause why the prayer sought in the application should not be granted .

However , earlier before the court gave its ruling on Thursday , Abdulwahab ’ s lawyer , Adebayo Adelodun ( SAN ) , informed the judge that despite being served with the motion as ordered by the court , the IGP refused to respond .

Contending that Abdulwahab was being held by the Police unjustly , Adelodun said his Kwara State- based client only honoured a Police invitation in the state in relation to his alleged link with suspects who carried out the Offa bank robbery , when he was arrested and taken to Abuja .

Adelodun said the Kwara State governor ’ s senior aide had since been in detention without charge .

But , in response , Justice Quadri queried if his court had the subject -matter jurisdiction to hear and grant the application .

While confirming that the court was clothed with the requisite jurisdiction , Adelodun argued that the Federal High Court in Abuja had the subject -matter jurisdiction to hear the case since the alleged infraction of his client ’ s right to liberty through his continued detention occurred in Abuja.

But the judge declined to grant the application and transferred it to Kwara State High Court for hearing and determination.

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