Date: 2020-09-24

A Magistrates' Court in Ilorin on Wednesday, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of an officer of the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Abdulkadir Bello.

Magistrate Muhammed Ibrahim gave the order following the absence of Bello, who is charged with assaulting a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Ilorin branch, Abdulfatai Rabiu.

Ibrahim frowned at the absence of the defendant in court, saying the excuse given by his counsel that he was on a national assignment could not be substantiated. The magistrate adjourned the matter until Sept. 28 for further mention. The police charged Bello with criminal assault and wrongful confinement.

According to a direct complaint, the defendant beat up the legal practitioner and confined him for an hour when he visited the NSCDC office to secure bail for his client.

Rabiu alleged that the defendant assaulted him when he visited the NSCDC office, Ilorin branch, on the instruction of his senior partner to perfect the bail conditions of his client, Aliyu Adam, who was detailed over an issue relating to debt.

He alleged that the defendant insisted that the N50,000 from the outstanding money should be paid before he would be released from their custody.