Court grants N10m bail to acclaim Katsina whistleblower, Mahdi

Faith Awa Maji, Katsina

Justice Lewis Allagoa of the Federal High Court, Kano has granted bail to the acclaimed Katsina State whistleblower, Mohammed Mahdi Shehu to the tune of ten million naira and one surety of like sum residing in Kano.

The Judge, Lewis Allagoa who after hearing the complaints of the both accused (Mahdi) and prosecutor (Nigerian Police) said the matter was before a competent court of jurisdiction hence the decision of the Chief Judge to transfer the matter to any court has not violated any fundamental principles.

He then stroked out the plea of the Nigerian Police questioning the legality of the Chief Judge to transfer a case without fair hearing.

Earlier, the prosecutor, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Simon Louga argued that, the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court has infringed on the fundamental principle by transferring the case without fair hearing from both parties hence prayed the court to strike out the bail conditions made by the defendant, Mahdi Shehu.

Reacting to the ruling, ACP Simon said they will study it and come out with workable solutions.

Recall that the case between the whistleblower and the Inspector General of Police was transferred to Kano from Katsina following a petition by the accused against the presiding judge, Justice Hadiza Shagari.

Mahdi Shehu, an acclaimed whistle blower, was arraigned before a Federal High Court in Katsina, where he was served with a six-count charge bordering on cybercrime.

Through various channels of communication, including the use of the social media, Mahdi Shehu, the chairman of the Kaduna based Dialogue Groups, had accused the Katsina State Government, under Aminu Bello Masari, of squandering over N50bn in the last five years from the state’s security vote.

The case has been adjoined to May 19th, 2021 for hearing.