A Daura Chief Magistrates’ Court in Kaduna on Thursday ordered the remand of 63 persons charged with unlawful assembly and homicide in Kasuwa Magani Village in Kaduna.
The accused, all residents of Kasuwa Magani Village, are standing trial for conspiracy, rioting with weapons, unlawful assembly, homicide, causing grievous hurt and inciting disturbances.
The Magistrate, Mrs Zainab Mohammed, ordered that the accused should be remanded in prison custody pending the advice of the state director of public prosecutions on their case.
She, however, handed one of the accused, who was underage to a surety and adjourned the case until April 5.
Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Sunday Baba told the court that the accused were arrested in connection with a conflict between Christians and Muslims in Kasuwa Magani Village.
“The divisional police officer of Kajuru Division in Kaduna State, on February 26, at 11.00a.m, received a distress call to the effect that there was a conflict between Muslims and Christians at Kasuwa Magani Village.
“A combined team of operatives was deployed to the scene to curtail the conflict, and on arrival, they discovered that houses and other property were set ablaze,’’ he said.
The prosecutor submitted that the police recovered four locally-made improvised petrol bombs, two bows, 11 arrows, three catapults, two knives, three guns and a big stick at the scene.
Baba added that the police found 12 bodies at the scene, saying that investigation revealed that the gang leader and the mastermind of the crisis had fled the area.
He said that the offences contravened the provisions of Sections 59, 67, 190 and 78 of the Kaduna State Penal Code, Laws, 2017.
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