The Kano High Court on Tuesday ordered the government to provide an interpreter for a Chinese national, Geng Quangrong,47, charged with the alleged murder of his Nigerian girlfriend, Ummukulsum Sani,22.

The defendant is facing a count charge of culpable homicide.

When the case came up for re-arraignment, the defence counsel, Muhammad Dan’azumi, urged the court to provide an interpreter for his client, relying on section 36(6)(a)(b)(c) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“My Lord, the defendant is not a Nigerian. The use of English in the court as a language may not be understood by my client, and he may not understand the charge he is standing trial for,” Mr Dan’azumi explained. “The defendant is entitled to an interpreter from English to the Chinese language; he is exploring his constitutional rights.”

The defendant was asked if he understood English, and he said no.

The prosecution counsel, attorney general Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, told the court that he had directed the director of public prosecution (DPP) to write a letter to the Chinese Embassy and the Chinese community in Kano requesting an interpreter on behalf of the defendant.

“The defendant spoke good English at the last adjourned date of September 29. When we get an interpreter, we will finish the case in a very short time,” the prosecutor, Mr Abdullahi-Lawan, noted.

Justice Sanusi Ado-Ma’aji ordered the Kano government to write to the Chinese Embassy to provide an interpreter for the defendant.

He ordered the defendant’s remand in prison custody and adjourned the case until October 27 for arraignment.

Ms Sani was allegedly stabbed to death by Mr Geng in her Kabuga quarters in Kano city for unconfirmed reasons.

Mr Geng was first charged before a senior magistrate’s court for a similar charge. But the state counsel objected to further prosecution, insisting that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear such a criminal suit. 

(NAN)