EBONYI State Police Command has arraigned a 32-year-old man before a Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki for allegedly killing three policemen.
The suspect, identified as Bernard Nworji, was arraigned recently on a seven-count charge in a suit numbered, ‘MAB/287C/2021’, bordering on murder, armed robbery, malicious damage and cultism.
During the arraignment, the trial Magistrate ordered the remand of the suspect in the Abakaliki Correctional Centre for lack of competent jurisdiction and directed the transfer of all documents and evidences in the matter to the Department of Public Prosecution.
The charge read in part, “That you, Bernard Nworji ‘m’ and others now at large on the 14th day of April 2021 at Nwezenyi Izzi, in the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: murder/armed robbery/malicious damage/ cultism and thereby committed offence punishable under Section 516A(a) of Criminal Code Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria,2009.
“That you Bernard Nworji ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date and place in the aforementioned magisterial district did murder one Inspector Light Alphonsus ‘m’ , Sergeant Egwu Emmanuel and Sergeant Igwe Emeka ‘m’ by shooting them with a gun and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 33 Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi of Nigeria, 2009.
“That you, Bernard Nworji ‘m’ and others now at large on the same date and place in the aforementioned magisterial district, did arm yourselves with guns and robbed three AK 47 rifles valued four million, five hundred thousand naira (4,500,000.00), property of Nigeria Police Force and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 402 of the Criminal Code Cap 33 Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
Recall that the policemen killed were attached to the Safer Highway Patrol Team and were shot dead while on duty by unknown gunmen at the Nwaezenyi Junction axis of Izzi Local Government Area.
