AGNES NWORIE, ABAKALIKI
THE Ebonyi State Police Command has arraigned two adults before a Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Abakaliki, for attempting to buy 3,000 live ammunitions.
The suspects – Ezike Monday and Goodness Okechukwu – are facing a two-count charge, in a suit numbered MAB/179C/2021, of conspiracy and felony to wit attempt to buy live ammunitions of AK-47 rifle.
They were said to have committed the offence on March 5, 2021 at Nwambara axis of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital.
Inspector Edet Effong who appeared during the arraignment for the prosecution disclosed that the suspects attempted to buy the ammunitions from one Nwiboko Arinze.
The team of defence counsels, led by Pius Awoke, applied for bail of the suspects, saying it was a bailable offence and that they were presumed innocent till otherwise proven by a court of competent jurisdiction.
Consequently, Solang Francis-Abba, the trial Magistrate, granted them bail of N100,000 each, two separate sureties in like sum.
The sureties and defendants are to deposit their full photographs, sureties are to depose to affidavit of means attached to the full photographs of both defendants and must be civil servants with the Ebonyi State Government, not below Grade Level 12.
The matter was adjourned to 8th April 2021 for continuation of hearing.
The charge reads, “That you Ezike Monday ‘M’, Goodness Okechukwu ‘m’ on the 5th day of March 2021, at Nwambara Abakaliki, in the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: attempt to commit felony 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 you, Ezike Monday, Goodness Okechukwu ‘m’ on the 5th day of March 2021, at Nwambara Abakaliki, in the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did attempt to buy three thousand (3,000) live ammunition of AK 47 rifle from one Nwiboko Arinze and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 509 of Criminal Code Cap 33, Volume 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”
