Suspected ‘celebrity kidnapper,’ John Ike Lyon, and his accomplice, Emmanuel Angase, have pleaded not guilty to a 14-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony, kidnapping, and armed robbery filed against them before the Bayelsa State Judiciary Complex, Yenagoa.
Recall that Lyon who used to be a cleaner in a bank, and the other suspects, were arrested in September this year over allegations of carrying out series of kidnappings in the state.
The suspects were on Wednesday, November 30, arraigned before the court where they pleaded not guilty to all the 14-count charges. According to the counts read out by the court clerk, John Lyon Ike, Emmanuel Charles Angase and others at large were charged on four counts of “conspiracy to commit felony contrary to section 444 sub (a) of the criminal code law, Cap (C) Laws of Bayelsa State, 2006.
They were also charged on eight counts of “kidnapping contrary to Section 2 sub (1) of the Kidnapping and Other Offences Laws of Bayelsa State 2013,” and a further two counts of armed robbery, contrary to Section 329 sub (2 ) of the criminal code law, cap ‘C’ of Bayelsa State, 2006.”
After pleading not guilty to the 14-count charges, the presiding judge, Justice Ineikad Eradiri ordered that they be remanded in prison custody.
After the judge’s pronouncement, the suspects demanded to speak to the press when they were about to be ushered into the waiting police van. They alleged that they were being threatened at the police custody and do not want to return there. The suspects then refused to enter the police Hilux van, insisting that they be taken to the Yenagoa Prisons as ordered by the presiding judge.
They were, however, forced into the police van by the policemen when their counsel told them that their prison remand order has not yet been signed by the judge.
John Lyon started crying and protesting that his health condition in police custody is deteriorating.
