Suspects paraded at the Rivers State Police command.
THE
Magistrate’s Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on Wednesday
remanded 13 suspects arrested in connection with the killing of four
students of the University of Port Harcourt.
The accused persons were allegedly part of a mob that tortured the
four undergraduates to death in Omuokiri Aluu in Ikwerre Local
Government Area of Rivers State.
The suspects, who were escorted by security agents, were driven into
the court premises about 9.45am in a Toyota Hiace bus with number plate
FG 120 F50.
The suspects were in handcuffs and chains as they appeared in court on five counts of conspiracy and murder.
Presiding Magistrate, Emmanuel Woke, however, said the court did not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Woke immediately announced the transfer of the case to the Department
of Public Prosecution for legal advice and subsequent arraignment in a
High Court.
The magistrate also said the suspects should seek bail from the high court.
A Chief Superintendent of Police, Mr. Henry Njoku, stood as counsel
for the prosecution while Mr. A.A. Finebone was the counsel for the
first accused and village head of Aluu, Alhaji Hassan Walewa.
Mr. Austine Ojekudo and others from the Nigeria Bar Association and
the Human Rights Commission were in court as concerned parties.
The charges against the accused as contained in Charge Sheet Number
PMC/2009C/2012, are “That you conspired among yourselves to commit
felony to wit: murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under
Section 324 of the criminal code Cap 37 laws of Rivers State of Nigeria
1999.”
The suspects and others at large were accused of lynching Ugonna
Obuzor, Toku Lloyd, Chiadika Biringa, and Tekenah Erikena, thereby
committing an offence punishable under Section 319 of the criminal code
Cap 37 volume III laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.
The court, however, adjourned the case till December 20, 2012.
Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, has
explained why he removed Dr. Andrew Efemini, as Head of Department of
Philosophy.
Ajienka, who spoke with newsmen in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, said
Efemini made an inflammatory statement that incited students to embark
on a violent protest in Aluu.
The students had carried out a protest against the killing of their colleagues by suspected members of Aluu.
