Clerics charged, remanded for operating illegal Islamic school in Minna

Eight Islamic preachers have been charged to court in Minna, Niger state capital, for operating illegal quranic school and preaching without obtaining license from appropriate authority.

The accused, who are leaders of the Madinatu Muheenu Hamdallah sect, were arraigned before a Minna Chief Magistrate’s Court II on a two-count charge on Tuesday.

According to the police prosecutor, Lapai-based clerics' action contravened Section 23 of the Islamic preaching law of Niger State which forbids operating Islamic school without license from the relevant authorities and engaging in preaching without license from relevant authorities.

The accused persons, who pleaded not guilty to the offence, included Mohammed Abubakar, Musa Hamza, Yusuf Usman, Aliyu Mohammed, Abubakar Hamza, Umaru Mohammed, Alfa Mohammed and Aliyu Abubakar. They were arrested by the State Security Service.

The sect leaders were denied bail by the court as the state solicitor, Sulieman Buhari, argued that investigation into how they got huge sums of money in their accounts was ongoing.

Citing the prevailing securing situation to convince the court to deny the accused persons bail, the state solicitor said it was necessary for the SSS to investigate the source of the funds in the accounts.

The efence counsel, Aliyu Ebo, however, argued for the bail of the accused persons, saying the offence for which they were charged was minor and bailable according to law.

The Chief Magistrate, Hajiya Maimuna Talatu Abubakar, while adjourning the case to July 30, 2014 ordered that the suspects be remanded in Minna prison.

She equally directed the SSS to complete investigation into the case in respect of their accounts in various banks before the next adjourned date.