Man Handcuffed To Hospital Bed Finally Arraigned, Granted Bail

Following a report by LEADERSHIP and the intervention of the National Human Right Commission (NHRC), Samaila Belllo, the man who was handcuffed to a hospital bed for one year, has been arraigned before an Upper Area Court in Gwagwalada and has been granted bail.

Bello, a robbery suspect, was taken to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital (UATH) Gwagwalada by the Gwagwalada Divisional Police Command about a year ago, for treatment of gunshot injury after he was arrested for alleged robbery.

The police had handcuffed Bello to the hospital bed and abandoned him there until LEADERSHIP published a story narrating his ordeal in February 2013.

Folowing the report, Bello was arraigned in court and charged for joint act and extortion contrary to sections 79 and 291 of the Penal Code

According to the prosecutor, Martha Paul, Bello, a native of Bauchi State along, with one Aliyu Suleiman and three others now at large, had jointly extorted a truck with registration no XD 893 GME, loaded with 500 bags of cement value yet unknown from one Adamu Mohammed, in 2012.

After the charges were read to him, Bello pleaded not guilty and begged the court to grant him bail which he had been denied for one year.

The presiding judge, Babangida Hassan, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 and a surety in like sum who must reside within the FCT, adding that he should be remanded in prison if he fails to meet the bail condition.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the case was adjourned to March 6, but could not be heard on the said date and that Bello is now at the UATH receiving treatment without the handcuff which hampered his movement for one year.

The NHRC however declined to comment on the matter, saying it was still conducting investigation and will only speak after.

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