Abia monarch, others remanded over 20-year-old’s death
A Magistrate Court sitting in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State last Thursday remanded the traditional ruler of Okai Item, His Royal Highness Eze James Ogbonna and two others in the Nigeria Correctional Centre in Umuahia, the state capital, over a case of alleged murder.
Eze Ogbonna and one Igwe Anyim and Ndukwe Sunday Igara were brought before the court in connection to the alleged gruesome killing of 20-year-old Ndukwe Isaac by angry youths of the community.
PUNCH Metro reports that the father of the deceased, Mr Isaac Maduka, a native of Umuikpa Akanu, had cried out for justice over the incident which occurred on January 28.
The presiding magistrate, His Worship Elizabeth, however, ordered the prosecuting attorney to remit the case file to the Department of Public Prosecutions.
Although the prosecuting counsel, U.Ekpo, argued that having already filled the information before the court, he ought not to remit the case file again, he accepted the order in the interest of public peace.
Ekpo said the prosecution had shown much seriousness in the case by filing information before a high court, which he said would enable the defendants to appear and take a plea.
But the counsel for the defendants, J. Osisiogu, said the prosecution counsel did not serve any information to any of the defendants even as of Thursday when the matter was going on.
The case was adjourned to March 27 for a hearing.
