Hamani Tidjani, a suspected cross-border robbery kingpin, yesterday died after suffering partial stroke for nine months at the Kirikiri Maximum Prisons in Lagos.
Tidjani, 42, died at about 9.00 am in the clinic of the maximum prison.
His battle with stroke started early last year, and in December there were plans to transfer him to another hospital, which did not materialize, even after medical experts were sent to the prison by the Lagos State Government before Christmas to examine him.
Tijani, a citizen of Niger Republic, was arrested sometimes in September 2003 in Cotonou, Benin Republic, and moved to Abeokuta, Ogun State, briefly before he was transferred to Kirikiri.
The deceased spent 11 years in prison custody while his trial was still ongoing before his death.
He was standing trial before Justice Sybil Nwaka of Lagos High Court on a three-count charge of conspiracy to commit armed robbery, armed robbery and receiving stolen goods.
The defendant had through his lawyer, J. H. Bashir, filed a “no case submission’’ and asked the court to discharge and acquit him for lack of diligent prosecution.
His request was, however, refused by Justice Nwaka in a ruling delivered on Oct. 23, 2012.
———————————–
Nigeria’s first online tabloid