BY AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
A 40-year-old mother of eight, Mrs Agnes Ezeh, is currently cooling her heels with three others at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre for attempting to kill Alexander, her husband.
Ezeh, alongside Peter Iduma, aged 25; Ominiyi Ekene, 26; and Ominiyi Chidiebere, 26; were charged to court recently over alleged conspiracy to take other person’s life.
It was learnt that the suspects, on 8th April, attempted to kill Alexander Ezeh at Ohagelode Ishieke in Ebonyi Local Government Area of the state.
The charge reads: “That Peter Iduma, Ominiyi Ekene, Ominiyi Chidiebere and Agnes Eze (female), on the 8/04/2021, at Ohagelode Ishieke, Abakaliki in the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony, wit attempt to murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516A(a) of the Criminal Code Cap 33 Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
“That Ominiyi Chidiebere, on the same date, place and in the aforementioned magisterial district, did unlawfully fired gunshots at Alexander Ezeh with one locally made pistol and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 320 of the Criminal Code Cap 33, Volume 1 Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria 2009.
“That Peter Iduma and Ominiyi Chidiebere, on the same date and place in the aforementioned magisterial district, did have in your possession and under your control one locally made pistol which you could not give a satisfactory account on how you came about it and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 3(1) of the Robbery and Firearm (Special Provision) Act Laws of Nigeria 2004, Cap R11 as applicable to Ebonyi State of Nigeria.”
The defense counsel, Jacinta Odoh, applied for bail for the suspect with a claim that Ezeh couldn’t have sent the three defendants to kill her husband having been lawfully wedded for years with eight children.
The application was, however, opposed by the prosecuting counsel, Oluchi Mbam, who alleged that Eze, having taken to promiscuous lifestyle, hired the services of the three other defendants in a bid to eliminate her husband.
The prosecutor further told the court that in her confessional statement, the estranged wife disclosed that she paid the three defendants to execute the planned murder.
The trial Magistrate, Lynda Ogodo, ordered that the defendants should be remanded at the Abakaliki Correctional Centre pending further advice on the matter as the court lacked jurisdiction to hear the case.
She instructed that the original case file and the evidences should be transferred to the Department of Public Prosecution for advice.
The matter was adjourned to a later date.
