Court Clears Ado Doguwa of Murder Charges, Imposes Fine on Police, Kano Government

The Federal High Court in Abuja has exonerated Alhaji Alhassan Ado Doguwa, the representative of the Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, of murder charges. The court also imposed a fine of N25 million against both the Kano State Government and the police for wrongfully accusing him.

Mr. Doguwa was initially accused of the murder of three individuals suspected to be members of the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) during the February 25, 2023, general election. Despite his vehement denial and accusations of bias, Mr. Doguwa faced arraignment as a principal actor in the incident.

The case took a political turn as Mr. Doguwa, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and House Committee Chairman of Downstream Petroleum, challenged the allegations, leading to a review of the police investigation. While the outgoing APC administration in Kano dropped the charges and exonerated him, the new governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf of the NNPP, vowed to pursue the case vigorously upon taking office.

Governor Yusuf, in his inaugural speech, promised to investigate cases of political violence, including the alleged involvement of Mr. Doguwa in the deaths of over 15 individuals in Tudun Wada Local Government. However, Mr. Doguwa took legal action against the Attorney-General of the Federation, Inspector-General of Police, the Governor of Kano State, and the Attorney-General of Kano State, citing violations of his rights to dignity, liberty, and freedom of movement.

The culmination of this legal battle came with the recent judgment from the Federal High Court, dated December 5, 2023, in suit No: FHC/ABJ/ABJ/CS/714/2019. Presiding Judge D.U. Okorowo cleared Mr. Doguwa of all murder allegations, marking a significant victory for the embattled politician.