A Kano State Magistrate Court has ordered the remand of a popular Islamic cleric, Ibrahim Makwarari, in a correctional facility over the alleged forgery of title documents for two properties located on Ahmadu Bello Way, Kano.
Makwarari was arraigned on Wednesday before Magistrate Court No. 53 sitting at Normansland, Kano, on charges bordering on illegal possession of land and forgery of land ownership documents.
He pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to him.
The charges were filed by the police following a petition from the Kano State Ministry of Land, which accused the cleric of forging land title documents originally registered in the names of Kassim Usman Baba and Audu Yaro Fagge.
According to investigators, Makwarari was found in possession of the disputed documents but failed to give a satisfactory explanation regarding their authenticity.
His counsel, A. T. Shehu, applied for bail, assuring the court that the defendant would be available to stand trial. The application was opposed by the prosecution counsel, Nura Salisu, who told the court that Makwarari had a history of evading police invitations and was only arrested after a specific court order.
In his ruling, the presiding magistrate, Mustapha Datti, granted the defendant bail in the sum of ₦20 million with two sureties.
The court ordered that the sureties must include a district head from any local government area in Kano State, supported by an official letter from the relevant Emirate Council, and a Kano-based businessman with verifiable property. Both sureties are also required to submit recent passport photographs.
The magistrate further directed the defendant to deposit his international passport with the court and ordered that he be remanded in a correctional facility until the bail conditions are fully met.
The case was adjourned to February 12 for hearing.