A Federal High Court in Kaduna has ordered the release of 91 members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiite.
Okay.ng understands that the presiding judge, Justice Hajaratu Gwada, acquitted and discharged them on five counts of criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, culpable homicide, disturbance of public peace, and causing grievous hurt filed against them by the Kaduna State government.
The state government had accused them of killing a soldier following clashes with troops in the convoy of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, in December 2015.
During their trial, the defence counsel had filed a no-case submission before the court on the grounds that his clients were innocent.
He also stressed that the state government had failed to prove its allegations against them beyond a reasonable doubt.
Justice Gwada giving her judgment struck out all the charges filed against the IMN members and acquitted them.
She held that the decision was as a result of the prosecutor to prove the allegations levelled against the defendants beyond a reasonable doubt.
