Court gives new hearing date in case between Senatorial Candidate, Gowon and Plateau LP Chairman, Zamfara

By: Joseph A. Adudu, February 12, 2023

Court gives new hearing date in case between Senatorial Candidate, Gowon and Plateau LP Chairman, Zamfara

The Magistrate Court West of Mines Jos on Tuesday, set February 4, 2023 for hearing a matter in case number CMC8/DCR/11/2022 Between Mr. Gowon Melchoir Munkilama, who is the Labour Party (LP) Plateau Central Senatorial Candidate (Complainant) against Mrs. Grace Zamfara, Plateau State Chairman of the LP (Defendant). The new date was necessitated by the absence of the Magistrate, Hon. Eric Naron who was said to be attending a workshop outside Jos.

Recall that the Defendant is standing trial for Criminal intimidation punishable under Section 377 of the Plateau State Penal Code Law, 2017.

According to the Complainant, the Defendant is said to have called the him in October 2022 at about 1.40 pm, intimidating and threatening him to withdraw as the candidate of the Labour Party for the seat of the Senator representing Plateau Central Senatorial Zone of Plateau State for her preferred candidate or ” risk suffering like Margif”. This is said to have put the Complainant in serious fear of possible body harm or injury to his reputation as the Labour Party Senatorial Candidate.

The case first came up on November 22, 2022 but the Defendant was not in court. The court bailiff sworn to an affidavit in the court to show that efforts to effect personal service of the summons on the defendant was frustrated as the defendant refused to collect the court processes.

Counsel for the Complainant, A.A. Ibrahim Esq then applied for a substituted service of the court processes on the defendant by pasting the summons at the defendant's residence at Bukuru Low-cost, Jos.

The case was adjourned to November 30, 2022 for mention.
On the adjourned date, the defendant was not in court again and the case was further adjourned to 19, December for mention

On Monday, 19, December 2022, the Complainant and the defendant were in court. The complain was read out to the defendant and She pleaded not guilty.

Her lawyer, C.I. Paul,Esq applied for her bail and the court granted her bail in the sum of one hundred Thousand Naira with one surety on the like sum who must be a civil servants of not less than level 14 either from the State or Federal civil service residing within the court jurisdiction to be verified by the court. The Surette was to also provide evidence of letter of last promotion and a passport photograph.