BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
A Magistrate’s Court has remanded a 27-year-old-man, Chikwado Nwankwo, in the Abakaliki Correctional Centre for allegedly attempting to poison a food vendor, her family and her customers.
Nwankwo was said to have poisoned the water and other materials meant for cooking food by one Philomena Nweke at Umuelu village, 11 Okposi Umuoghara in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
It was gathered that the defendant, on June 6, 2022, poured sniper on the materials which the food vendor used for cooking in a bid to get at her following a fierce disagreement between them over who rents an apartment in their compound.
The charge against the defendant reads that “Chikwado Nwankwo, on the 6th day of June, 2022 at 11, Okposi Umuoghara Umuelu village, in Ezza North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, did with intent to disfigure, maim or do some grievous harm to one Philomena Nweke, unlawfully dispensed or put sniper substance into her water meant for cooking food and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 332(5) of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“You, on the same day and place did with intent to unlawfully kill one Nweke Philomena, dispensed or put sniper substance into her water meant for cooking food and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 320 of the Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.”
Meanwhile, the defence counsel, Njoku Agwu, applied for bail for the defendant after the latter pleaded not guilty to the two-count-charge slammed against him by the police.
However, the police prosecutor, Inspector Sabastine Alumona, opposed the bail application saying that Nwankwo would have wiped out the food seller’s family, her customers and any other person who ate her food that day if not that the vendor perceived the odour of the sniper early when she came out to cook around 4am on the day in question.
The trial Magistrate, Blessing Ibeabuchi- Chukwu, ordered that the defendant be remanded in prison as the Magistrate’s Court lacks competent jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The case was adjourned till August 23 for mention.
In an interview, Nweke explained how a mild misunderstanding between her and Nwankwo, her neighbour, could have ended her life and that of her family members and customers.
She said, “Chikwado (Nwankwo) is our landlord’s younger brother and I had a misunderstanding with him over who would rent an apartment in our compound because I am the caretaker. I had forgotten about the matter but I didn’t know that he was still angry to the extent of attempting to kill me, my family and all those that eat food in my shop.
“When I and the two girls helping me came out as early as 4am to start cooking, I perceived the smell of the sniper and asked for the person who bought the sniper because the smell was too strong, but none of them laid claim to what happened. I was already cooking meat and egusi soup with the sniper-contaminated water before I found out that the sniper was actually in the water and some cooking utensils that we were using.
“At that point, I raised the alarm and people came out and saw what happened. I thank God that the sniper has a strong smell, if not; I, my children and customers would have all been dead by now. During enquiry by the village head, nobody owned up to what happened.
“I took the matter to our traditional ruler who called the meeting of all the villagers and threatened to curse whoever planned the murder. Chikwado Nwankwo disclosed to him at night that he was responsible for it. The traditional ruler then handed him over to the police for prosecution.”
