Families of thirteen wedding guests killed in Mangu, Plateau State, have condemned a High Court decision granting bail to 20 suspects linked to the June 12 mob attack.
Recall that the suspects were granted bail on Wednesday, by the presiding judge, Justice Nafisah Lawal Musa, after hearing a Motion from their defence counsel, Garba Pwul (SAN).
The suspects were arrested following an attack on a 38-seater bus which was conveying the victims from Kaduna State to a wedding ceremony, but met their untimely deaths when they missed their way and found themselves in the community, which had been facing terrorist attacks.
The local youths, who mistook the travellers for bandits, reportedly descended on the travellers, leading to the killing of the victims.
Following the incident, 21 people were arrested, and in an earlier court appearance, 20 of the suspects were remanded at the Jos Correctional Center, while the case was adjourned to August 20.
When they were arraigned in court on Wednesday, the suspects were granted bail by Justice Musa after hearing a Motion from the defence counsel.
However, relatives of the victims have expressed concerns over the decision of a court to grant bail to the suspected killers of their relatives.
The relatives described the ruling by Justice Musa as shocking and a setback to justice, questioning the state government’s commitment to prosecuting the case.
A relative of one of the victims, Abdullahi Tahir Balami, who spoke to newsmen shortly after the verdict, said the decision of the court was worrisome and a veiled indication of foul play.
Balami further expressed shock and concerns over the judgment, and questioned the commitment of the Plateau State government to getting justice for the victims and their families.
He also wondered how a court could grant bail to suspects in a multiple murder case of such a nature. “With this development, we are now seriously questioning the commitment to dispensing justice to our relatives. It is saddening that suspects in a homicide case can be granted bail by a court”, he lamented.
Another family member, Ubale Anguwar Ɗantsoho, who said he lost some family members in the attack, said he also received the news with shock, and wondered how suspects in a murder case would be granted bail. He stated that he was surprised at the ruling, saying he is worried that the deceased relatives may never get justice.
The widow of the driver of the ill-fated vehicle, Maryam Usman, who also spoke to newsmen, said she is both confused and bewildered over the bail granted to the suspects. She said she couldn’t really understand what the court proceedings meant, because she couldn’t imagine how suspects arrested for mass murder would be granted bail.
“What kind of court is that? We have now been thrown into despair. Instead of hearing good news from the court, since that is where justice is supposed to be dispensed, the court went ahead to grant them bail. It means our hope has been dashed. We are not likely to receive justice over the loss of our loved ones”, Maryam lamented.
