Rev. Father Ejike Nwankwo and his lawyer, Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi, are currently facing a 12-count-charge at a Chief Magistrate’s court in Umunze.
The charges brought against them read that “Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo (male) of Maryland Catholic Centre, Okpuno Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi, (male), of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital Umunze; and others at large, sometimes in the month of May, 2021, at Umunze town in Orumba South Magisterial District, did commit the offences threatening violence, assault, occasioning harm, assault, breaking into building and committing felony, malicious damage, stealing and conduct likely to cause breach of the peace. You, thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 496 of the Criminal Code CAP, 36 Volume 11, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre Okpuno Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze and others at large, on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did commit the offences of threatening violence in that you threatened to kill one Nnenna Ezenwa (female) by stating that, except she runs back to America within one week and stop stepping her feet into the premises of Havila Gold Inter-Biz Impress Nigeria Limited, Umunze, she would be dead or her blood would flow like river. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 120 of the Criminal Code, CAP 36 Volume 11, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre Okpuno, Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze, and others at large, on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did commit the offence of assault in that you attacked Nnenna Ezenwa and her staff and hit Nnenna Ezenwa with a stone on her shoulder. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 250 punishable under Section 352 of the criminal Code CAP 36 Volume 11, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev.Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre, Okpunon Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze and others at large on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did commit the offence of breaking into building and committing felony in that you broke into the office of Nnenna Ezenwa at Havila Gold Inter- Biz Impress Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Ejikmary Nigeria Limited, Umunze and committed felony. You thereby committed an offence pushable under Section 350 (a) and (b) of the Criminal Code CAP 36 Volume 11 of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Ejike Nawnkwo of Maryland Catholic Centre Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze; and others at large on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magistral District did commit the offence of stealing in that you fraudulently stole the sum of N526,000, documents, electric change-over, Ipad, Laptop, CCTV Camera, I-Phone and other items value yet to be estimated, property of Nnenna Enewna. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 342 and punishable under section 353 (12) of the Criminal Code, CAP 36 Volume 11, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre, Okpuno Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze; and others at large on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magistral District, did commit the offence of assault occasioning harm, in that you hit the right hand of Chigazunwa Uga with a stick which caused her harm. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 258 of the Criminal Code, CAP 36, Volume 11, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre, Okpuno Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze and others at large on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magistral District, did commit the offence of malicious damage in that you damaged Android phone of Chigazunwa Ugwa, value yet to be estimated by hitting her hand that made her to fall, thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 415 of the Criminal Code, CAP 36, Volume 11, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre, Okpuno Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze and others at large on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did commit the offence of assault in that you assaulted one Chioma Julia, female by hitting her hands with sticks and dragging her. You thereby committed an offence contrary to section 250 and punishable under Section 252 of the Criminal Code, CAP 36, Volume 11, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre, Okpuno, Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze, and others at large on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did commit the offence of malicious damage in that you damaged the motorcycle of Christian Anointing by cutting the seat, tyres and other parts of the motorcycle with machete. You thereby committed an offence publishable under Section 415 (1) of the Criminal Code, CAP 36, Volume 11 Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre Okpuno Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze and others at large on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did commit the offence of stealing in that you stole a bus belonging to Nnenna Ezenwa, (female) valued at N1,300,000. You thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 353 and punishable under Section 353 (12) of the Criminal Code, CAP 36, Volume 11 Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre, Okpuno, Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze and others at large on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did commit the offence of conduct likely to cause breach of the peace in that you conducted yourself in a manner and caused breach of the peace by harassing, shouting at, insulting and bullying Nnenna Ezenwa and Chigazunwa Ugwa. You thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 247 (d) of the Criminal Code CAP 36, Volume 11, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
“Rev. Fr. Ejike Nwankwo of Maryland Catholic Centre, Okpuno, Awka; Chukwu Kingsley Idenyi of Number 71, Okigwe Road, beside Niger Diocesan Hospital, Umunze, and others at large on the said date, place and in the aforesaid Magisterial District, did commit the offence of conduct likely to cause breach of the peace in that you conducted yourself in a manner and caused breach of the peace by insulting, shouting at and bullying Chioma Julia (female) and Christian Anointing (male). You thereby committed an offence punishable under section 247 (d) of the Criminal Code, CAP 36, Volume 11, Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991.
However, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The presiding Chief Magistrate, Nnaemeka Nnacheta, adjourned the matter to 22nd March for further hearing.
