The Zamfara state governor, Bello Matawalle, has been accused of complicity in the continuous detention of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aliyu Ikira Bilbis, who has spent over two weeks in detention for alleged criminal conspiracy and mischief.
Among charges against the former minister is alleged destructions of bill boards by PDP supporters in the state.
Bilbis was arrested and charged to Upper Shariah Court 11 in Gusau for an alleged criminal conspiracy and mischief by the state government on September 30, and has remained in detention following the stringent conditions attached to his bail by the presiding judge, Jubril Ibrahim Gusau.
Upon the application for bail by his counsel, Barrister JC John of the Umaru Shinkafi Chambers, the court granted the bail but on stringent conditions, including a surety with landed property in Gusau, and a home with Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), with a value not less than N20million.
The former minister is expected to produce a permanent secretary serving in Governor Matawalle’s government, who will also, among other things, sign a bond to produce the accused person.
But counsel to the former minister, Barrister John over the weekend raised an alarm following alleged moves by the judge to scuttle the process.
He said: “The second condition is such that is obtainable. We had an experience here; the court granted a bail to somebody and said the surety should be a district head.”
