The Magistrate Court in Omuma, Oru East Council Area of Imo State has arraigned the suspended Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Oru East LGA, Anayo Nwajiezi and one suspected Herbalist, Obelechukwu Iwegbulam on a two count charge of conspiracy to commit murder and an attempted murder.
Others also arraigned in same matter are a pastor of a Sabbath church, Solomon Ezenwa-Duru and one, Maduka Dike.
The applicants who are mainly top PDP chieftains in the area had raised alarm and accused the suspects of threat to their lives claiming it was through diabolic means leading to the arrest of the accused persons and their subsequent arraignment in the court.
According to the petition before the court, the ex PDP chairman had contacted the said local native practitioner and the spiritualist to prepare charms to eliminate the lives of the applicants.
After hearing the prayers made by the prosecuting counsels led by Ambrose Elibo and the defendants counsels, John Onwuneme and Mascort Onwubueze, the Chief Magistrate, Emeka Ukachukwu declined to entertain the matter on the ground that the court lacked the jurisdiction to award maximum punishment for the offence if the accused persons are found guilty as charged.
The Magistrate said he would seek advice from the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP on the matter, to know whether the court has the power to award life imprisonment punishment which the relevant laws stipulated for the second count charge of attempted murder.
Also the application to grant bail to the four defendants was vehemently opposed by the prosecutor on the grounds that the accused persons have not presented credible and reliable sureties and some of them do not have traceable contact areas or residences.
He added that granting them bail would amount to unleashing further security threat to not only the lives of the victims, who according to him are still living in fears, but the society at large.
The Chief Magistrate thereafter adjourned the matter to July 5th, 2019 for hearing on the application for bail and ordered that the accused persons be reminded at Owerri Prison till the adjourned date.
Speaking to newsmen after the court proceedings, Ikenna Onwoagba, one of the victims and the Scribe of the party in the area, alleged that the 2nd Defendant, Anayo Nwajiezi had contacted the native doctor to prepare a charms with the assistance of the other defendants to eliminate his life and that of other victims.
He said, “when we got hint of their devilish plans, we had to quickly informed the police who arrested them one after another and today they are been arraigned in the court to face the wrath of their action. Even while they are here, we are not still sure of the safety of our lives because everyone knows what is before us could be unpredictable.”
