A Vice Principal in a northern school who had earlier admitted having a carnal knowledge of an underage girl has made a U-turn in court.
Vice-Principal of Day Secondary School Tunga Minna, Mohammed Mohammed, who is currently standing trial for allegedly impregnating a 16-year-old student, has denied the allegation.
Mohammed had earlier admitted to officials of the Niger State Child Rights Agency of having sex with the student and had begged for clemency.
He has, however, denied the allegation when he appeared before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Minna, on Wednesday.
The accused person appeared before former Magistrate’s Court 8 in Minna on Wednesday.
His counsel, Mohammed Mustapha, said in an oral application that the suspect did not sleep with the pupil.
“In view of this, we humbly make an oral application for his bail before the court under the inheritance and rights jurisdiction of the court,” he said.
He said the oral application for bail was premised on sections 34, 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, while urging the court to use its discretion to admit the suspect to bail.
Police prosecutor, Corporal Hussaini Paiko, objected to the bail application, saying the suspect could tamper with the ongoing police investigation on the matter.
In her ruling, Senior Magistrate Fati Auna, refused to grant bail to the suspect. She ordered the counsel to formally submit the bail application in writing.
Subsequently, Auna ordered the suspect to be remanded in prison custody while she adjourned the case till April 26 for further hearing.