Friday, March 29, 2024

How PDP campaign coordinator refused to pay us, called us kidnappers – Party agents

Uba Group

BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI

The Chief Judge of Ebonyi State, Justice Elvis Ngene, has discharged and acquitted five Peoples Democratic Party agents arraigned before him over allegation of kidnapping.

The accused, Ele John Ogbonna, Eze Kelechi, Ntoh Egwu, Udemba Gideon and Abuchi Egwu, have been standing trial since the conclusion of the last general elections in 2019.

While delivering his judgment, Justice Ngene said that the prosecution counsel failed to convince the court that the defendants actually committed the said offence. He then dismissed the case, discharged and acquitted the accused.

The five persons, who said that they worked as party agents for the PDP during the 2019 general elections at Amata Amachi Akpoha Community of Afikpo North Local Government Area of the state, explained that they were contracted by the party through the campaign team coordinator in the area, Nwogo Ajuka-Obasi, with an agreement to pay them N100, 000 each if they were able to ensure the emergence of the party’s candidates as winners in their polling units.

According to them, at the end of the elections, all the PDP candidates emerged victorious in all the said polling units, but the campaign coordinator failed to fulfill his part of the bargain. Rather, he allegedly claimed that the money was not disbursed from the party to him as he pleaded for patience.

The party agents reportedly went to Ajuka-Obasi’s house on March 11, 2019 to request for their pay. It was alleged that on their way, he offered them drinks at a nearby joint (Don C), which they turned down on the ground that it was too early in the morning.

On their request, the campaign coordinator was said to have monetised the drinks for them as he led them to a POS to withdraw N30, 000 for them in lieu of the drinks.

The acquitted youths said in their statement that to their surprise, days later, Ajuka-Obasi effected their arrest through some security personnel, labeling them as kidnappers.

He was said to have accused them of obtaining the N30, 000 from him as ransom after kidnapping him on March 11, 2019 at Eziabor Market Square, Amogu Akpoha, with guns and sticks.

The men were later arraigned for kidnapping, an offence that contravenes Section 4(1)(a) and punishable under Section 4(2) of the Ebonyi State Internal Security Enforcement and other Related Matters Laws, Cap 55, Volume 2, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.

Four witnesses testified in favour of the complainant, while seven testified in favour of the defendants.

After evaluating the evidences before it, the court held that the state prosecuting counsel failed to prove his case beyond reasonable doubts, and thereby dismissed the case.

Responding, the defence counsel, Mudi Erehnede, said he was pleased with the judgment, adding that the state’s Chief Judge had proven through the verdict that the court is the last hope of the common man.

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