A Chinese national, Frank Geng-Quangrong, 47, was re-arrested by the Kano State Government on Thursday for the suspected murder of his Nigerian lover, Ummukulsum Sani, 22.
Frank, a resident of Kano's Railway Quarters, is accused of culpable homicide.
The Kano Government was mandated by the court on October 4 to provide an interpreter for the defendant.
When the case came up for re-arraignment, the prosecutor, Musa Abdullahi-Lawan, who is also the attorney general of Kano State, introduced Mr Guo Cumru from the Chinese Embassy to translate for the defendant from English to Chinese.
According to him, the defendant committed the crime on September 16 in Kano's Janbulo Quarters Gwale Local Government Area.
The prosecutor alleged that on the same date at about 9 p.m the defendant stabbed Sani with a knife in her house at Janbulo quarters Kano for undisclosed reasons.
“We are ready and intend to present five witnesses, we don’t want to take much time as the interpreter is from Abuja,” he said.
The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
Abdullahi-Lawan said that the offence contravened the provisions of Section 221(b) of the Penal Code.
Muhammad Umar, who held briefs for the nominal complainant.
Responding to the Defence Counsel, Mr Muhammad Dan’azumi, earlier objected that in a criminal case there is no procedure for holding a brief.
Justice Sanusi Ado-Ma’aji ordered the remand of the defendant to a correctional centre.
He adjourned the matter until Nov.16, Nov. 17 and Nov. 18, for a hearing.
Newsmen report that the defendant was first charged before a Chief Magistrate’s court because the State Counsel raised an objection insisting that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear such a criminal suit.