Bash Ali refuses to leave jail after been arrested

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.

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)