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Former boxing champion, Bash Ali, has been arraigned for bursting into the office of the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung, and insulting him.
The prosecutor, Oyeyemi Adeniyi, had told the court that the Ali criminally trespassed into Dalung’s office at the Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
He said the controversial boxer forcefully entered the office without the minister’s invitation and intentionally insulted the minister.
According to Adeniyi, the incident attracted a crowd and disrupted the activities of the ministry before the police within the premises intervened.
Adeniyi added that the boxer refused to make statement to the police when he was arrested. He added that the offences contravened Sections 348, 399, 114 and 143 of the Penal Code.
The defendant who was arraigned on a four-count charge bordering on criminal trespass, intentional insult, inciting public disturbance and refusal to make statement on April 3, denied committing the offences.
At the Gudu Upper Area Court, Abuja, on Wednesday, the judge, Alhaji Umar Kagarko, granted the defendant N100,000 bail, ordering him to provide one surety in like sum that must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
He adjourned the case till June 15 for hearing.
The judge had adjourned ruling on the defendant’s bail application after the defence counsel, Mr Tajudeen Adegbite, applied for his bail on self-recognition.