By Musa Isa Ahmed
A magistrate court sitting in Yola, Adamawa State has convicted four persons that testified before the Commission of Inquiry Investigating the Tingno crises in Lamurde Local Government Area for allegedly giving false information to one-year imprisonment with an option of fine.
The convicts were presented by the Chogbo community to testify against thirteen Hausa-Fulani residents whose names were mentioned as being among those involved in killing and destruction of properties in the crises in Tingno earlier in the year.
During cross-examination of the witnesses, counsel to the Hausa-Fulani, Barr Abubakar Sadiq Muhammad had applied for the objection of the four witnesses as they were not the actual persons summoned by the commission and insisted that the commission should clear the issue before presenting its closing report.
Reacting to the request the Chogbo-Bachama community Barr Chris Cromwell accepted that the matter is investigated to ascertain the true situation.
After cross-Examination by the counsels representing various interest groups, the commission’s counsel Barr Abdullahi Iliyasu said the four witnesses were the last set of those that testified and applied for ending the public hearing by members of the commission.
In her ruling, the chairperson of the commission Justice Hapsat Abdulrahman Adamu announced the closure of the public sitting and gave the counsels representing various groups two days to prepare their final report for adoption.
Justice Hapsat appreciated the support and cooperation given to the commission’s, by a team of lawyers, the Nigerian Bar Association, the Media and officials of the state Ministry of Justice and Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri for finding them worthy of the assignment as well as providing the necessary logistics needed for a successful exercise.
Speaking on behalf of the bar, Barr Chris Cromwell commended the panel members for exhibiting professionalism and ensuring fair play during the proceedings of the commission in the last four months.
During the public sitting, 54 witnesses appeared and testified before the commission.