Justice Sika Henry Apirioku of the Rivers State High Court has ordered the remand in prison custody of three traditional rulers over their alleged involvement in the killing of former Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada East, SP Bako Angbashim.
The affected traditional rulers are; the king of Igbu Akoh Kingdom, Eze Cassidy Ikegbidi; Eze Kilvine N. Amugwo and Dr Felix E. Otuwarikpo, as well as other defendants.
The Nigeria Police Force had arraigned the monarchs with other defendants before Justice Apirioku on Thursday in the suit number PHC/3208/CR/2023, on offences bordering on murder, conspiracy to commit murder, cultism, and kidnapping among others.
Although, the accused persons did not take their plea, the trial judge denied an oral bail application by their counsel, Uchechukwu Igbegiri, and consequently, ordered that all defendants be remanded in the Port Harcourt maximum correctional centre till November 21 for plea and bail consideration.
SaharaReporters had reported that former Ahoada East DPO, Angbashim, was killed in the Odiemudie community forest by a wanted cult kingpin known as David Gift aka 2baba, and his gang in September 2023.
Following his gruesome murder, the police arrested the three monarchs for their alleged complicit in the killing. Other people from the area were also arrested in connection with the murder.
Addressing journalists outside the courtroom, the acting Police O. C. legal and prosecuting counsel, SP Enyiyepere Sikpi, said the defendants were remanded following the prosecution’s opposition to their oral bail application.
Sikpi said, “What transpired in Court today was that the defendants were arraigned and their bail application was raised and we opposed it, the court seeing reasons refused the bail and remanded the defendants.
“The case is adjourned to 21st of November, 2023 for trial, the defendants were charged for attempted murder, murder, cultism, and two other offenses.”
On his part, counsel for the 1st to 10th defendants, Uchechukwu Igbegiri, said he was going to perfect the defendants’ bail application before the next adjourned date
“This is a high court and an application cannot be done orally, especially when the charges are serious like murder, robbery, and cultism.
“So we have to go and file our bail applications for the accused persons, this is a High Court, a court of superior jurisdiction, so seeking for bail will be by way of motion and that is what the court has advised us to do and that is what we are going to do.”