Suspected Bauchi Guard Killers Test Positive, Arraignment Suspended

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Four of the five accused being held in connection with the murder of Sunday Joshua, a security guard at the New Trafford Hotels and Suites in Bauchi, have tested positive for COVID-19.

The PUNCH had reported that Joshua, a 23-year-old man, was reportedly beaten by persons suspected to be his co-workers at the hotel situated in Gwallameji area of Bauchi metropolis, over a missing torchlight phone on May 25th, which he was accused of ‘stealing.’

Despite pleading his innocence, they, however, refused to let him go until they beat him to stupor and left him in a pool of his blood for over 12 hours before he was eventually rushed to the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, by his family where he died receiving treatment.

The missing phone was later brought back to the owner by someone who had earlier taken it.

However, the arraignment of the five accused, which include the Managing Director of the hotel, Innocent Ejeh, at the Chief Magistrate Court 7, Yelwa, on Wednesday, was stalled following a letter written to the court that four others; Abdul-Rasheed Shuaibu, Jacob Joshua, Joshua Ibrahim and Timothy Yunusa, had tested positive for the disease.

The trial Magistrate, Safiya Salihu, who read the letter from the Bauchi Correctional Centre dated June 11th, 2020, said the four accused were confirmed positive for coronavirus by the National Centre for Disease Control in Bauchi State.

When the case was called, the Prosecution, Sergeant Ayuba, told the court that the accused persons could not be in court due to the reasons stated in the letter from the correctional centre in Bauchi and pleaded for an adjournment.

He further told the court that during the sitting of the court on 5th and 8th of June, the accused persons were ordered to be remanded in correctional centre custody.

The trial Magistrate adjourned the case till 14th of July, 2020, for further mentioning and arraignment.