19 MASSOB members arraigned

Posted by admin Headlines Thursday, January 19th, 2012

Nineteen members of Movement for Actualization of Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) were yesterday arraigned in an Onitsha Magistrate Court on a three-court charge of kidnapping, conspiracy and assault occasioning harm.

The accused persons are Monday Uteze (36); Chukwuma Okwute (29); Onyedika Obiora (21); Iruka Nwagwu (27); Luke Egwuatu (81); Onwumyili Ogonna (32); Ugochukwu Mba (24); Ayigbo Chibueze (26); Anayo Ogbu (30); Obike Ugochukwu (19) and Austin Ugwuoke (16).

Others are Basil Ocha (26); Ogbonna Nwafor (32); Ifeanyichukwu; Onukwube Onyekwelu (30) Uwa Nnamani (22); Onyeka Nnamani (27); Onyeka Nnamani (27); Aleke Obinna (20); and Arinze Igbegbuna (27).

The accused persons were arraigned before Magistrate B. I. Udedika of Onitsha Magistrate Court. The prosecution counsel, Mr. Chukwuka Nwizu, told the court that the accused persons including a female conspired among themselves and kidnapped some people who they held hostage between January 14 and January 16 thereby committing an offence, punishable under Section 495 of the Criminal Code Cap 36 laws of Anambra State.

Counsel for the accused persons, Mr. Destiny Nnagbo made a no case submission, arguing that the accused persons should be discharged, due to irregularities in the charges. He told the court that there was no complainant in the case, arguing that in such a serious case, the complainant should have been produced in the court.
The defence counsel also argued that the charges against the accused persons were unnecessarily duplicated and therefore should be discarded. In his submission, the prosecution counsel, Mr. Chukwura Nwizu, said the defence counsel had not raised any issue that needed to be joined.

Nwizu told the court that the defense counsel had not been able to mention any irregularity in the charges as alleged. He told the court to bind the accused persons over and move the case to the High Court, since there was no issue to be joined. In her ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Mrs B. I. Udedika said she would not bind over the accused persons since the complainant and other witnesses mentioned in the case were not present in court.

She therefore adjourned the case until January 30 to enable the police produce the witnesses and for formal bind over of the accused persons.

-Sunwp_posts