The police on Thursday arraigned Mauzu Suleiman, Amina Saidu and Adewale Sani in a Wuse Chief Magistrates’ Court, Wuse, Abuja, for allegedly causing injuries to two men.

The prosecuting counsel, Festus Ajayi, told the court that a team of policemen, led by Eli Shiru of the Garki Police Station, patrolled the Garki International Market on April 25.

Mr Ajayi said in the process, the defendant and 14 others now at large allegedly formed a criminal intention and attacked Godwin Godday and Elasu Mohammed, and they sustained injuries to their heads as a result.

He alleged that the mobile phones of the victims got missing, adding that the offence contravened sections 97 and 242 of the Penal Code.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty, stating they did not know the cause of the fight in the market and adding that it was between motorcycle riders and the police.

The defence counsel, Enagonimi Ekpede, applied for bail for the defendants pending the case’s determination, citing section 36(5) of the 1999 Constitution and urging the court to grant it.

Mr Ekpede urged the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the defendant, adding that they were presumed innocent until proven otherwise.

The magistrate, Ekpeyong Inyang, granted the defendants N500,000 bail each with one reliable surety in like sum resident within the court’s jurisdiction.

Mr Inyang added that the sureties must swear to an affidavit of means of livelihood and their addresses verified by the court’s registrar.

He adjourned the matter until July 1 for hearing.

(NAN)