Rodiyyat Shittu – Kaduna
The prosecution at the on-going trial of the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, and his wife, has rested its case today before the judge presiding over the case.
Fifteen witnesses have so far testified for the prosecution in the court since the opening of the hearing as confirmed by the Lead counsel to the prosecution, Dari Bayero.
Bayero said “the State finally rested its case by calling the last witness it intends to call to this trial. It has testified. The state closes its case.
“As far as the state is concerned, it has tendered all the exhibits, all the key actors, key players of this case have been called and have given their submission. We have called 15 witnesses for the prosecution, top are Army Generals who were key actors in the whole saga that lead to the filing of the charges against El-Zakzaky”.
However, it was a twist at the hearing as counsel to the leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria filed ‘no case submission’ before the court on the basis that, claims tendered by the prosecution are not testing water and do not found the said defendant wanting.
Marshal Abubakar, who represented the lead counsel, Femi Falana said, “the state has indeed called to their witnesses and it is our view that there is no case so far established against the defendants.
Filing an application to ask the court to declare that the defendant does not really have to call witnesses in the ongoing trial but to have them enter into ‘no case submission’ because so far base on the evidence advanced this far all the fifteen Witnesses in our estimation had not made submission or given evidence that incriminates the defendants”, he noted.
Counsel to the prosecution however prayed that the court over-ruled the ‘no-case submission filed by the defendant, and take past the necessary sentence as provided forth in the law
Hence, sitting was adjourned to the 25th of May, 2021 for the continuation of the hearing on the trial.
