Nigerian boxing legend Bash Ali was
arrested on Wednesday Feb. 11th in front
of a bank in Abuja for constituting public
nuisance. He was locked u and charged
to court for the offense.
Despite meeting his bail conditions at a
court hearing yesterday, Mr Ali has
refused to leave jail in protest for his
arrest and detention. Read the NAN report
on the matter after the cut...
A Wuse Zone 6 Senior Magistrates’ Court,
Abuja on Wednesday fixed April 2 for
hearing in the criminal case brought
against Nigerian boxer, Bash Ali, and four
other accused persons. Meanwhile Bash
Ali has refused to leave jail despite
meeting bail conditions. The four others
are Gabriel Ikyowe; Timothy Ugbede;
Daniel Otoski and Jones Ebele.
They were arraigned by the police on Feb.
19 on a six-count charge of joint act of
abetment, criminal trespass, and
obstruction in public way. They were also
charge with criminal trespass, causing
obstruction in public way, wrongful
restraint and criminal intimidation. The
prosecuting police officer, Sgt. Bulus
Samuel said the charges contravened the
provisions of sections 79, 85, 348, 194,
256, and 397(b) of the Penal Code. When
case was first mentioned on Feb. 19, all
the accused persons pleaded not guilty to
the charges. The Magistrate subsequently
granted them bail in the sum of N1
million each with one surety each who
must be a civil servant not below salary
GL 10. According to the Magistrate, the
sureties must be reliable, resident within
the court jurisdiction and must swear an
affidavit to substantiate reliable means of
livelihood. Bello adjourned the matter for
hearing to March 4, adding the sureties,
who must be civil servants, must produce
their first appointment letter and their last
promotion letter.
At the resumption of hearing on
Wednesday, the Principal Witness 1, Mr
Bisong Peter, told the court that he and
some of NEXIM Bank workers were
assaulted by the accused persons.
Peter is the Chief Security Officer to
NEXIM Bank.
He said this under cross examination led
by counsel to the accused persons, Mr
Anthony Agbolahan.
According to him, Ali, his colleagues and
others now at large, disrupted NEXIM
Bank operations by preventing workers
and customers from entering the
premises during their protest on Feb. 18.
“Ali called himself a suicide bomber and
claimed that he was coming to bomb the
bank.
“As a security agent, my colleagues and I
have to be on alert.
“They came on a protest carrying placard
with all kinds of inscriptions against
corruption; we stopped them but they
were still able to gain entry into the
premises.
“When they were disturbing and making
noise, we called the police who later came
to our rescue.
“Ali had visited NEXIM Bank several times
but am not aware the purpose of his
visits,’’ Peter said.
He, however, said that during one of such
visits, he had a meeting with the bank’s
management and later left in anger”.
Defence counsel, Mr Anthony Agbolahan,
however asked Peter whether he was
aware that Ali and the Local Organising
Committee (LOC) were planning a boxing
championship. When the witness
answered in the negative, the defence
lawyer told the court that Ali and his team
visited the bank in connection with the
championship. Agbolahan also sought
from the CSO whether Ali and other
attacked the bank’s Managing Director, to
which the witness also answered in the
negative. Witness also admitted that Ali
had had a meeting with the management
before but that Ali left the meeting in
“anger”
Senior Magistrate, Habiba Bello, having
listened to the parties adjourned the case
till April 2 for continuation hearing.
(NAN)
