A Magistrate’s Court in Yola on Thursday remanded Aminu Yar’Adua, the son of late former President Umaru Yar’Adua, in prison for allegedly killing four people in an auto crash in Yola.
Yar’Adua, a 36 year-old student of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) Yola, was charged to court for allegedly causing death by dangerous driving on 23 June 2021.
According to the police First Information Report (FIR) tendered in court by the prosecutor, Insp. Zakka Musa, the accused had, while driving along Yola bye pass on 23 June, 2021 , crushed six people as a result of over speeding.
The court heard that four of the victims were killed and the other two were injured in the accident, with the victims all hailing from Sabon Pegi, Yola South Local Government Area.
“Those that died in the accident were identified as; Aisha Umar (30), Aisha Mamadu (32), Suleiman Abubakar (2) and Jummai Abubakar (30), while, Rejoice Annu (28) and Hajara Aliyu (27) sustained injuries,” according to the FIR.
The prosecuting officer told the court that the relatives of late Aisha Umar, Suleiman Abubakar and Jummai Abubakar, had demanded the sum of N15 million from the defendant as compensation.
But, when the FIR was read to the defendant as prayed by the prosecutor, he denied committing the offence, describing the allegation as untrue.
At that point, the prosecutor pleaded with the court to adjourn the matter, to enable him duplicate the case file and forward to the Department of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.
The Magistrate, Jummai Ibrahim granted the prosecution’s request and adjourned the matter till 19 August, 2021, for further mention.
He then ordered that Aminu Yar’Adua be remanded in prison custody until then.
Earlier reports said Aminu barely escaped lynching on the day of the accident as a mob descended on him for killing the four pedestrians and injuring two others. Among the four killed was a toddler.
The prompt intervention of policemen at the scene of the accident, saved Yar’Adua, said to be an off-campus student of American University of Nigeria (AUN).
