THE wife of slained Katsina commissioner for science and technology , Binta Rabe Nasir and his childhood friend, Yushau Abubakar Mani have refused to enter defence and had ran to the Court of Appeal News Point Nigeria gathered.
This newspaper reported that the deceased’s wife, Binta Rabe Nasir and his childhood friend, Yushau Abubakar Mani were arrested, arraigned before a Magistrate Court and remanded in custody as prime suspects in the murder of the former commissioner.
Binta and Yusha’u had been standing trial along side four others before High Court of Justice, Katsina since his murder on December, 9th 2021.
The prosecution had already closed their case by producing number of witnesses and tendering over 20 exhibits including Autopsy report, Call Data Records ( CDR) and several documents.
But according to a source familiar with the recent development of the case, after the close of the prosecution’s case, four of the defendants opened and closed their defence with the exception of two of them ( Binta and Yusha’u ).
Based on that, they filed an application through their lawyers ( jointly) that they have no case to answer and prayed to the court to discharge and acquit them. The court overruled their application and ruled that they should enter defence ( they should defend themselves).
The court ruled that the burden is on them to tell the court where they were on the date of the murder, since both of them in their statements to the police (which was tendered and admitted before the court) show that they raised an Alibi (that they were not around when the offence was committed ).
According to Yusha’u Abubakar, he told the police that it was one Alhaji Ibrahim Ahmad Katsina ( former SA Security ) who scheduled a meeting for him to attend at Kankara.
Contrary to Yushau’s claim, a letter was tendered and admitted before the court from the Ministry of Security denying what he said and they categorically disassociated themselves from him.
On her part, Binta told the police that she was at Abuja Airport when the news about the murder reached her, in another version ( through a witness ) she said she was at Kano attending the wedding of her cousin.
But Call Data Records tendered before the court showing locations, and other exhibits such as Audio recordings before the court proved that claim false too.
As the outcome of the ruling may not seem favourable for Binta and Yusha’u, the two have now ran to the Court of Appeal in Kaduna to challenge the rulling of the Katsina State High Court of Justice that they have a case to answer.
The trial already suffered series of adjournents at their instance based on several applications from their lawyers.
Some stakeholders in Katsina have expressed dismay at the rate at which Binta and Yusha’u got a date for an Appeal filed on the matter in March 2025 while other cases dating back to 2022 awaits call.