BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
The Ebonyi State Police Command has arraigned two men before a Magistrate’s court sitting in Abakaliki over the alleged killing of an Inspector of Police and two Sergeants during a violent raid by hoodlums on police and public facilities in the state.
The security personnel were reportedly attacked and murdered on April 14, 2021 at a police checkpoint, in Nwezenyi Junction, Izzi Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The suspects, Ugo Linus and Nnaji Obinna, aged 30 and 21 years, respectively, in a six-count charge suit, marked ‘MAB/530c/2021’, were accused of the murder of officers on duty, armed robbery, malicious damage of police guns and patrol vehicles worth N48,500,000, as well as involvement in cultism.
Light Alphonsus, an Inspector of Police; Sergeants Egwu Emmanuel and Igwe Emeka, all males, were reported to have been shot dead by the suspected men.
The Police prosecutor, DSP Mathias Ezeh, alleged that the suspects also “armed themselves with guns and stole three AK 47 rifles valued at N4.5million, and willfully and maliciously damaged two patrol vehicles marked NPF- 1781-D and NPF- 2473-D, valued at N44 million, properties of the Nigeria Police.
The offences allegedly committed were said to be punishable under sections 516A(a), 319(1), 402 and 451, all of Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
The charges read, “That Ugo Linus, Nnaji Obinna and others, now at large, on the 14th April, 2021, at Nwezenyi Izzi, in the jurisdiction of this court, did conspire to commit murder, armed robbery, malicious damage and cultism and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516A (a) of Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“That Ugo Linus, Nnaji Obinna and others, now at large, in charge Number MAB/287c/2021, in the aforementioned magisterial district, did murder one Inspector Light Alphonsus, Sergeant Egwu Emmanuel and Sergeant Igwe Emeka by shooting them with a gun and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 319(1) of Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“That Ugo Linus, Nnaji Obinna and others, now at large, in charge Number MAB/287C/2021, on the same date and place in the aforementioned magisterial district, did arm yourselves with guns and robbed three AK 47 rifles, valued at N4,500,000, property of the Nigeria Police, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 402 of Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“That Ugo Linus, Nnaji Obinna and others now at large, in charge Number MAB/287c/2021, on the same date and place in the aforementioned magisterial, district did willfully and maliciously damage two patrol vehicles with registration number NPF- 1781-D and NPF- 2473-D, valued at N44, 000,000, property of the Nigeria Police, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 451 of Criminal Code, Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
The prosecutor opposed the bail applications by the defense counsels on the grounds that the crimes for which they were being prosecuted were capital offences and thereby were unbailable.
Magistrate Linda Ogodo ordered that the defendants be remanded in the Abakaliki Correctional Centre while their case files should be forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution for advice.
She adjourned the case to August 31, 2021.
