Senior Magistrate Court 1 sitting in Gabasawa, Taiwo Road, Kaduna, on Thursday ordered that one Mrs Yemi Awolola who is standing trial for inflicting bodily pain on a 14-year-old house help, Princess Michael, be remanded in a correctional facility (prison) until September 17, 2020, for mentioning.
Senior Magistrate Court, 3 sitting in Gabasawa, Taiwo Road, Kaduna, had on Monday, July 13, adjourned child torture case levelled against Mrs Yemi Awolola (first defendant) and two minors (second and third defendants) with court registration case number: KMD/204XB/2020, till August 27, 2020, for hearing.
However, the case came up on Thursday, August 27, in Magistrate Court 1 instead of Court 3 because the Magistrate in charge of Court 3 has been transferred to another court.
The presiding Magistrate, Court 1, Benjamin Hassan, after reading the appeal to the three defendants both in English and Hausa languages pointed out that, in relation to section 207 of First Information Report (FIR), it is only the High Court that could entertain the matter as Magistrate court lacks the jurisdiction to continue.
The case was expected to be transferred to a High Court when it came up September 10 (today) in Magistrate Court 1, but, the Court is still waiting for the advice from the Ministry of Justice, Kaduna State which made it adjourned the case till September 17.
The new date, which the court granted was suggested by the Counsel to the three defendants, Ali Ibrahim Omachi told without opposition from the Complainant, Barrister Bukola Ajao since the prosecution assured the court that the advice from the Ministry of Justice may be transmitted within a week.
Mrs Yemi Awolola had on 3rd July 2020, at her residence, 1, Shagari Estate, Barnawa Kaduna, ordered her daughter (a minor and second defendant) and another house help (a minor and third defendant) to hold the hands and legs of a14-year-old house help, Princess Michael, while she used lighter to burn her genitals and buttocks over allegation of hidden her foodstuff.
