By Sabiu Abdullahi
A Magistrate Court in Kano State has ordered the remand of a popular Islamic cleric, Ibrahim Makwarari, over allegations of forgery linked to land ownership documents.
Mr Makwarari appeared before Magistrate Court No. 53, sitting at Normansland, Kano, on Wednesday. He is facing charges bordering on illegal possession of land and forgery of land documents in connection with two properties located along Ahmadu Bello Way in the Kano metropolis.
The charges were filed by the police after a petition submitted by the Kano State Ministry of Land. The ministry alleged that the cleric forged title documents that were originally issued in the names of Kassim Usman Baba and Audu Yaro Fagge.
According to investigators, the disputed documents were recovered from the defendant. The police stated that Mr Makwarari failed to give a satisfactory explanation concerning the authenticity of the documents.
When the charges were read in court, the defendant pleaded not guilty.Counsel to the defendant, A. T. Shehu, applied for bail and assured the court that his client would be available for trial. The prosecution counsel, Nura Salisu, opposed the request.
Mr Salisu told the court that the defendant had previously ignored police invitations and was arrested only after a specific court order was issued.
In his ruling, the magistrate, Mustapha Datti, granted bail to the defendant in the sum of ₦20 million with two sureties. The court directed that the sureties must include a district head from any local government area in the state, supported by an official letter from the relevant Emirate Council, and a Kano-based businessman with verifiable property.
The magistrate also ordered the defendant to submit his international passport to the court. Both sureties are required to provide recent passport photographs.
Mr Datti further ruled that the defendant should be remanded in a correctional facility until all bail conditions are met.
The case was adjourned to 12 February for hearing.