BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The Ebonyi State Police Command has arraigned a 40-year-old-man, Uche Awegbe, before an Abakaliki Magistrate’s Court for allegedly threatening to kill the state governor, David Umahi.
The police said that Awegbe had shot two residents of the state dead and caused communal crises on some occasions following which he sent death threats to the governor via the telephone.
The defendant, who was arraigned on Wednesday in a case marked MAB/ 634c/202, was accused of being in possession of guns and machete.
The police prosecutor, Sergeant Obi Eberechukwu, accused the defendant of threatening the life of the governor on August 19, 2022 at number 9, Umuoji Street, Abakaliki by sending death threat text messages to him.
The defendant, said to unlawful possess guns and machetes, was also accused of promoting inter-communal war in Effuim community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of the state in 2021, allegedly leading to the death of some residents.
The charge preferred against him read that “You, Uche Awegbe, on the 19th day of August 2022 at Number 9, Umuoji Street, Abakaliki, did threaten the life of Engr. David Umahi, the Executive Governor of Ebonyi State by sending death threat message to him through your MTN phone number 09039946XXX and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 12(1)(b) of Ebonyi State Internal Security Enforcement and Related Matters Law, Cap 55, Volume 2 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“You, Uche Awegbe, and others in charge numbers MAB/69c/2021,MAB/838c/ 2021 and MAB/891c/2021 on the 5th day of November 2021 at Effuim community, Ohaukwu Local Government Area within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did go armed with guns and machetes in public without lawful occasion in such a manner as to cause terror and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 80 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“You and others in aforementioned charge numbers on the same date and place did unlawfully cause the death of one Mary Eba and Catechist Godwin Egede by shooting them with gun and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“You did commit felony to wit: murder, promoting inter-communal war and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516(A) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33 Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
The defendant’s plea was not taken due to the capital nature of the offences allegedly committed.
Magistrate Linda Ogbodo ordered that Awegbe be remanded at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till October 10.
She directed the prosecutor to transfer the original case file, evidences and all documents in the matter to the Department of Public Prosecution in the state for legal advice.
