BY PETER OKUTU
ABAKALIKI—A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State capital, Tuesday, remanded one David Isu Egwu, 33, in prison custody based on a three count charge of assault, armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit felony preferred against him.
In two separate charge numbers MAB/543C/2012 and MAB/820C2012, the accused was alleged to have on June 8, 2012, at Ngodo Village, in Afikpo while in the company of others, allegedly robbed one Chief Rogers Okpani of N122,000 and assaulted him by breaking his right upper limb with a stone, contrary to Sections 516A (1) of the Criminal Act Cap 38 Vol.4, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 as applicable in Ebonyi State and Section 1(2) (b) of Armed Robbery and Firearms Special Provisions Act Cap R. 11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
Meanwhile, counsel to the accused, Mr.Uchenna Igba, made an oral application for bail, which was opposed by police prosecutor, Inspector Ekpo Otuu, on the grounds that the offence was beyond the jurisdiction of the magistrate court.
In her ruling, the trial Magistrate, Solage Ifeanyichukwu, stressed that the court lacked the jurisdiction over the matter and adjourned it sine-die.
She then instructed that the case file be returned to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, in the state Ministry of Justice while the accused be remanded in prison custody.
However, relations of the accused, messres Anthony Ulu and Desmond Uroh had said in a petition to the State Police Commissioner said that the case of robbery against the suspect was baseless as the matter originated from a land dispute, adding that the said Rogers Okpani allegedly entred their land by force, using forged documents of a supposed power of attorney.
But Okpani when contacted denied the allegation insisting that the matter was an pure case of armed robbery.
