*Suspects arraigned two years after
Three men, who allegedly tortured a 75-year-old man
to death over allegations of witchcraft, have finally been arraigned two years after
committing the crime.
The accused, Uchenna Anyim 42, Paul Ossi 47 and
Ndubuisi Uzoigwe, 21, were arraigned last week Thursday. The accused are members
of Amaeze, Ishiagu community, in Ivo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The deceased, Pa Njoku, a herbalist, was accused of
being a witchcraft with Mrs. Grace Chukwu and other members of the community on
April 30, 2014.
They were tied and brought to the community court.
Although, everyone accused were tortured, but Njoku didn’t survive to relieve the
nightmare.
Since the incident, his son, Chibuike Okoro, had
been seeking for justice. He has written series of petitions and two years
later, his petitions had been addressed and the accused persons arraigned.
Njoku’s corpse was taken to hospital mortuaries by some of his assailants who claimed he is their uncle. His son, Chibuike Okoro was prevented from seeing the corpse till October 25, 2016 following his persistent demand of justice on the killing of his father.
Njoku’s corpse was taken to hospital mortuaries by some of his assailants who claimed he is their uncle. His son, Chibuike Okoro was prevented from seeing the corpse till October 25, 2016 following his persistent demand of justice on the killing of his father.
Last week, the village chairman, Uchenna Anyim who
allegedly led the torture of Njoku was arrested by the police alongside some
members of his gang; Paulinus Ossi and Ndubuisi Uzoigwe who allegedly participated
in the septuagenarian torture.
Anyim, Ossi, Uzoigwe and some other members of the community had invaded the deceased shop in search of witchcraft evidence against Njoku a herbalist and petty trader.
Narrating the incident to New Telegraph, Njoku’s son Chibuike Okoro said the group ransacked his father’s house and his own house but could not find any substantive claim and immediately dragged him to
the village square where other persons such as Mrs. Grace Chukwu who was already stripped naked, Mr. John Ossi, Boniface Uka Ogboke and others who were accused of similar offence had been bound hands and feet and subjected to severe torture, interrogation and humiliation
aimed at forcing them to confess or admit force allegation.
He noted that as he pleaded with Anyim and his group to spare his father as there was no evidence against him, they threatened to deal with him if he opposes them.
Anyim, Ossi, Uzoigwe and some other members of the community had invaded the deceased shop in search of witchcraft evidence against Njoku a herbalist and petty trader.
Narrating the incident to New Telegraph, Njoku’s son Chibuike Okoro said the group ransacked his father’s house and his own house but could not find any substantive claim and immediately dragged him to
the village square where other persons such as Mrs. Grace Chukwu who was already stripped naked, Mr. John Ossi, Boniface Uka Ogboke and others who were accused of similar offence had been bound hands and feet and subjected to severe torture, interrogation and humiliation
aimed at forcing them to confess or admit force allegation.
He noted that as he pleaded with Anyim and his group to spare his father as there was no evidence against him, they threatened to deal with him if he opposes them.
“When they could not find any incriminating evidence
against my father, they dragged him to our playground and started beating him. They
also beat up a woman, Mrs. Grace Chukwu whom they also accused of witchcraft.
They striped the woman naked and the woman was telling
them that she is innocent,’’ he said.
According to him, he then ran to Ivo police division for his dear life where he reported the matter. He said as the police was about to move to the scene, Anyim and his group brought some of the victims tied with big ropes to the police station while his father was missing.
them that she is innocent,’’ he said.
According to him, he then ran to Ivo police division for his dear life where he reported the matter. He said as the police was about to move to the scene, Anyim and his group brought some of the victims tied with big ropes to the police station while his father was missing.
‘’I told the police that my father was not among
those tied and taken to the station and they asked the group the whereabouts of
my father. At that point, Anyim ordered his group to go and bring my father to the
station. Within a short period of time, Ndubuisi Uzoigwe and Kenneth Okoro
carried my father to the station. Kenneth was at the
back holding my father’s head while his legs were hitting the ground. They carried my father on motorcycle to the station. When they brought him doing, he had given up the ghost.
‘’The police then asked Uchenna Anyim the offence my father and others they brought to the station committed and he replied that they are evil doers in our community; witchcrafts. The policemen told him that he has severely tortured the suspects and that he should immediately take them to hospital. He took them to the hospital and Doctor was not around.
‘’He abandoned the injured suspects and took my father’s corpse out of that hospital to unknown hospital. He did not tell me where he took my father’s corpse to’’, he said.
According to him, when the police could not give satisfactory attention to the matter because of the suspects’ connections or affluence, he petitioned the suspects through his lawyer and the then state Commissioner of police ordered the arrest of Anyim and was released two days after the arrest.
Okoro alleged that based on the nonchalant attitude of the state police command on the matter, another petition was forwarded to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, zone 6 Calabar and that the matter was also treated with kids gloves as the suspects were arrested and released immediately.
He maintained that the entire family members decided to report the matter to the Inspector-General of Police who ordered the arrest of Anyim who was later released after interrogation and was later re-arrested.
He noted that when Anyim was re-arrested, the police asked him the document (hospital tally) which he used and deposited the corpse at the Mater Misericordiae hospital mortuary, Afikpo. Okoro said Anyim wrote in the document that his dad is his uncle when he is not even
related to the deceased or the family and called for justice on the killing of his father.
Meanwhile, the chicken finally came to a roost last Thursday as Anyim and two others were arraigned by the police before an Abakaliki Magistrate Court on the matter.
In charge no MAB654C/2016 Uchenna Anyim(42), Paulinus Ossi(47) and Ndubuisi Uzoigwe(21) were last week Thursday arraigned on two count charge of conspiracy and murder.
The charges reads: ‘’ that you Uchenna Anyim, Paulinus Ossi, Ndubuisi Uzoigwe and others at large on 30th day of April, 2014 at Amaeze Ishiagu, in Ivo local government area in the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit: murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 324 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 33, vol. 1 Laws of Ebonyi state.
‘’that you Uchenna Anyim, Paulinus Ossi, Ndubuisis Uzoigwe and others at large on 30th day of April, 2014 at the same place in the aforesaid Magisterial District did beat and hit one Simon Okoro Njoku with sticks on his head which caused his death and thereby committed an
offence punishable under section 319 of the Criminal code Law, Cap 33, Vol. 1 Laws of Ebonyi state, 2009’’.
After the charges were read to their understanding, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the offence. In her ruling, the trail Magistrate, Stella Ogoke ordered that they be remanded in prison custody.
‘’The accused persons did not take his plea as this court lacks the jurisdiction to try them. The prosecutor is therefore advised to transfer the case file and all that is related to the matter therein
to the DPP."
back holding my father’s head while his legs were hitting the ground. They carried my father on motorcycle to the station. When they brought him doing, he had given up the ghost.
‘’The police then asked Uchenna Anyim the offence my father and others they brought to the station committed and he replied that they are evil doers in our community; witchcrafts. The policemen told him that he has severely tortured the suspects and that he should immediately take them to hospital. He took them to the hospital and Doctor was not around.
‘’He abandoned the injured suspects and took my father’s corpse out of that hospital to unknown hospital. He did not tell me where he took my father’s corpse to’’, he said.
According to him, when the police could not give satisfactory attention to the matter because of the suspects’ connections or affluence, he petitioned the suspects through his lawyer and the then state Commissioner of police ordered the arrest of Anyim and was released two days after the arrest.
Okoro alleged that based on the nonchalant attitude of the state police command on the matter, another petition was forwarded to the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, zone 6 Calabar and that the matter was also treated with kids gloves as the suspects were arrested and released immediately.
He maintained that the entire family members decided to report the matter to the Inspector-General of Police who ordered the arrest of Anyim who was later released after interrogation and was later re-arrested.
He noted that when Anyim was re-arrested, the police asked him the document (hospital tally) which he used and deposited the corpse at the Mater Misericordiae hospital mortuary, Afikpo. Okoro said Anyim wrote in the document that his dad is his uncle when he is not even
related to the deceased or the family and called for justice on the killing of his father.
Meanwhile, the chicken finally came to a roost last Thursday as Anyim and two others were arraigned by the police before an Abakaliki Magistrate Court on the matter.
In charge no MAB654C/2016 Uchenna Anyim(42), Paulinus Ossi(47) and Ndubuisi Uzoigwe(21) were last week Thursday arraigned on two count charge of conspiracy and murder.
The charges reads: ‘’ that you Uchenna Anyim, Paulinus Ossi, Ndubuisi Uzoigwe and others at large on 30th day of April, 2014 at Amaeze Ishiagu, in Ivo local government area in the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire amongst yourselves to commit a felony to wit: murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 324 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap 33, vol. 1 Laws of Ebonyi state.
‘’that you Uchenna Anyim, Paulinus Ossi, Ndubuisis Uzoigwe and others at large on 30th day of April, 2014 at the same place in the aforesaid Magisterial District did beat and hit one Simon Okoro Njoku with sticks on his head which caused his death and thereby committed an
offence punishable under section 319 of the Criminal code Law, Cap 33, Vol. 1 Laws of Ebonyi state, 2009’’.
After the charges were read to their understanding, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the offence. In her ruling, the trail Magistrate, Stella Ogoke ordered that they be remanded in prison custody.
‘’The accused persons did not take his plea as this court lacks the jurisdiction to try them. The prosecutor is therefore advised to transfer the case file and all that is related to the matter therein
to the DPP."
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