God’ll avenge blood of my innocent daughter – Mother of slain varsity student

Godwin Udoh, Asaba

The mother of the 300 level Mass Communication student of the Delta State University, Abraka, who was murder by a gang of ‘Yahoo Boys’, Mrs. Ogege, is inconsolable.

She wept profusely in court and demanded for justice, following the not guilty plea of the defendants to the eight-count charge preffered against them by the Attorney General of Delta State.

The accused persons who were arraigned before Asaba High Court were arrested in connection to the alleged murder of Elozino Ogege.

The accused persons, Macaulay Desmond Oghenemaro, Ojokojo Robinson Obajero, Nwosisi Benedict Uche and Enaike Onoriode took their plea after the charges were read to them by the Court Registrar and pleaded not guilty.

According to the statement of offence in charge No A/2c/2019, count IV of the charge reads “That you, Macaulay Desmond Oghenemaro (m), Ojokojo Robinson Obajero (m), Nwosisi Benedict Uche (m) Enaike Onoriode (m) and one Emese Emudiaga Kelvin now deceased, on or about the 15th day of November, 2018 at Abraka, within the Sapele Criminal Division murdered one Elozino Joshualia Ogege, punishable under section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21, Volume 1, Laws of Delta State 2006.”

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Other charges contained in the information filed against the defendants include conspiracy to commit a felony to wit: kidnapping punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C21, Volume 1, Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.

The substantive offence of kidnapping punishable under section 4(1) of the Delta State Anti-Kidnapping and Hostage Taking Law, 2016, conspiracy to commit armed robbery and the substantial offence of armed robbery.

The accused persons, according to the charge, robbed one Elozino Joshualia Ogege (f) of her Tecno K7 Mobile phone while armed with a knife and other weapons.

S.C. Okehielem Esq., who announced appearance for the 1st and 2nd defendants, made an oral application for the transfer of the case to Sapele Judicial Division on the ground that the alleged offence was committed at Abraka, which falls within the Sapele Judicial Division and cited Ibori Vs FRN, Nigeria Weekly Law Report, 2009.

Opposing the application, Omamuzo Erebe Esq., Director of Legal Drafting, who led other lawyers from the Ministry of Justice, including the Director of Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence, Uche Akamagwuna Esq., urged the court to dismiss the application on the grounds  that it was frivolous and inapplicable to the case.

He said the State acted under the provision of section 94 (2), section 99 and section 104 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law, 2017, adding that the Attorney-General of the state, through the Director of Public Prosecutions, DPP, had earlier made an application to the Chief Judge of the state for assumption of jurisdiction, raising security concerns, not only for prosecution witnesses but as well as the accused persons and the application was granted by the CJ and the case assigned before the trial Judge to adjudicate.

Ruling on the application for transfer of the case to Sapele Judicial Division, the trial Judge, Justice Flora Ngozi Azinge (Mrs.), dismissed the application, saying that it was unmeritorious and held that the case is before a proper venue to entertain the matter.

She further ruled that the High Court of Delta State is one and that the administration of the Criminal Justice Law, which governs criminal matters in the state empowers the Chief Judge to transfer any case from one criminal division another.

The matter was adjourned to  April 30 and May 15, 2019 for hearing.