Seven suspected members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were remanded in Aba prison for alleged murder and arson by a Magistrates’ Court sitting in Aba, Abia.
The suspects – Chinonso Ude, Maduabuchi Echereodo, Ukochukwu Ikechukwu, Okechukwu Daniel, Okezie Jeremiah , Chizuruoke Nwanmuo and Ifeanyi Sunday – were remanded in prison custody after their arraignment on 12 counts bordering on the murder of a Assistant Superintendent of Police, Cyril Nwosu, and setting ablaze the Ariaria Police Station, alongside cars recovered as exhibit by the police. The suspects were also charged with theft of pump action rifles.
In the charge, marked MAN/ 132/ C/2017 and MAN/ 133C/2017, presented before the court by the prosecuting counsel, ASP Nnamdi Ogbonna, the police alleged, “That you, Chinonso Ude, Maduabuchi Echereodo, Ukochukwu Ikechukwu, Okechukwu Daniel, Ifeanyi Sunday, Okezie Jeremiah, Chizuruoke Nwazuo and others now at large, did have in your possession or control offensive weapons as members of the IPOB which you used to terrorise the public and you thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 10(1)(a) of the Abia State Prohibition of Terrorism, Kidnapping, Hostage-taking, the use of offensive weapon or explosives and Other Threatening Behavior Law No. 10 of 2009.”
But counsel for the first, second and sixth defendants, Charles Onuchukwu, while applying for his clients’ bail, argued that the magistrates’ court did not have jurisdiction to entertain a case of murder, terrorism and kidnapping.
Reacting, the prosecutor said the court equally lacked jurisdiction to make order on the matter.
After listening to the arguments of the counsel, the magistrate, Ogbonna Adiele, ordered that the accused persons should be remanded in the Aba prison and adjourned the case till September 27, 2017.
Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram
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