A Zuba magistrates’ court in Abuja on Tuesday refused to grant bail to Obiajulu Uja who was debarked and handed over to the police for making a sensitive statement about President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu, onboard an Ibom Air Abuja-Lagos flight.
Ruling on the bail application filed by Uja, through his counsel, Senior Magistrate Mohammed Abdulazeez Ismail, held that the application was premature
He held that the exhibits attached to the application did not say the defendant was unfit to face trial but indicated he was of unsound mind.
He also held that while the constitution guarantees every person’s liberty, a court can deprive a person their liberty based on health ground.
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Citing the provisions of Section 35(1)(e) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and Section 278 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, the magistrate held that Uja cannot be granted bail.
He held that where the mental capacity of a defendant is an issue, the court has the duty to ascertain the defendant’s medical situation of such defendant.
He added that the exhibits attached to Uja’s bail application raised the issue of his medical capacity.
He subsequently turned down the bail application and ordered that Uja be held at the Kuje Correctional Centre of Nigerian Correctional Service.
He further ordered that the head of the centre take the defendant to a government hospital to ascertain his mental capacity.
He then adjourned until April 20 for the report and hearing.
Uja had held up the aircraft for over an hour, and it took the efforts of six airport security officers to evacuate him after he started a protest.
The police accused Uja of threatening violence and causing a breach of peace with his actions.
