Thursday, November 29, 2012

Rape: Court orders Army chief to produce colonel



A Magistrate Court presided over by Justice Saadatu Sambo, in Barnawa, Kaduna State yesterday ordered the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt. Gen. Azubuike Ihejirika, to produce one Lieutenant- Colonel Williams Nzidee, who is been accused of raping a 16-year-old girl.
The chief magistrate said the decision was taken following initial summon letter sent to the accused person through the Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), where he was serving which was returned back to the court on grounds that the accused person has been transferred to a new formation in Benin.
Lt.-Col. M. G. Hammawa, on behalf of the NDA commandant had written a letter with number NDA/763/A acknowledging the receipt of the initial court summon which was returned to the court.
According to the letter; “I am directed to inform you that the officer has been posted out of this institution and has since been released to report to his new formation in Benin. In view of the above, I am further directed to return the court summon for your further necessary action.”
In her ruling, however, Chief Magistrate Sambo ordered that since the accused person is still serving in the Nigerian Army, the summon should be served on the Nigerian Army Headquarters to produce the accused person on or before the next adjourned date.
Mirror

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