The Bauchi State Sharia Commission in recent times has accused several persons of homosexuality in the State. The commission usually relies on the testimony of eye witnesses to secure a conviction before Sharia court.
However, yesterday, when the Commission brought six people before the Upper Sharia court for trial, the supposed witnesses were not able to say they saw the accused persons committing the act.
The Judge, Justice El-Yaqub Aliyu, quoting from the Hadith said the suspects remained innocent until proper evidence could be established against them.
The case was adjourned until January 27th.
In a related development, another seven suspects accused of homosexuality in the same court were almost lynched by an angry mob as they were being led back to the Prisons service bus to be conveyed back to the Prison.
The suspects, Ibrahim Marafa, Shehu Adamu, Yusuf Adamu, Aliyu Dalhatu, Abdulmalik Tanko, Usman Sabo and Hazif Sabo Abubakar, were arraigned by the state Shariah Commission, for allegedly engaging in homosexual activities in the state, an act said to be contrary to the Islamic laws operating in the state.
The mob began to stone them and yell insults at them. As the situation deteriorated, quick thinking men of the security services fired tear gas and live rounds into the air to disperse the crowd.
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