32-year-old civil servant docked for killing own brother

A 32-year-old civil servant, Ismaila Ahmed, was on Monday arraigned in a Lokoja Chief Magistrates’ Court I for allegedly killing his younger brother, Iliyasu Ahmed, with a charmed ring.
Ahmed, of Inoziomi quarters in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi, is charged with criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.
The offence is contrary to Sections 97 and 224 of the Penal Code.
According to the police First Information Report, the accused was alleged to have on October 27, 2012, at about 6.30pm, beaten the deceased with a charmed ring.
The deceased, Iliyasu, according to the police was involved in a fight with one Buhari Abdullahi, now at-large, when the accused, in the bid to separate the fight, beat his brother.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The Police Prosecutor, Samuel Ikutanwa, urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody.
Ikutanwa said that investigation into the matter was still ongoing.
Counsel to the accused, Muazu Abbas, pleaded with the court to grant bail to the accused.
Abbas said that the court had the power to remand or release and urged the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the accused.
He said that the accused, before his arraignment, was on police bail.
The counsel also tendered a letter written to the court by one Suleiman Obadegba, uncle to the deceased, of the family’s intention not to pursue the case.
The Chief Magistrate, Levi Animoku, in his ruling, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N100,000 with a reliable surety.
He said the surety must be resident in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.
Animoku said the essence of bail was to secure the attendance of the accused in court to stand his trial.
He urged the counsel to ensure that the accused attended to his trial.
He adjourned the case to June 13 for mention.