Judge Remands Phone Snatcher Suspect In Prison

Hope of Young Usoro Okon, to get bail was dashed on Thursday, when a high court sitting in Port Harcourt failed to grant bail pleas by his attorney, Karibo Butoye.

Okon, a suspect, held for snatching phones and other valuables at the Isaac Boro Park area in 2006, has been in court since 2007.

High Court Judge Justice, Boma Diepiri, objected to claims by the suspect that he was compelled to sign a police statement, which he said was not made by him.

After asking Okon to sign his signature 10 times, Justice Diepiri said the suspect was making false claims.

Police Sergeant, Ifeoma Duro, on cross-examination by state counsel, Peter Agali, told the court that the suspect use to attack his victims with machete and rob them of their GSM handsets at the Isaac Boro Park area of Port Harcourt.

However, luck run out of him in December 9th 2006, when he was caught by passers-by after he had robbed one Bernard Egonu, who was returning from work on that fateful day.

According to the woman police sergeant, Mr. Egonu had raised alarm after two boys armed with cutlass robbed  him of his handset and monies, but passers-by came to his rescue and caught one of the suspects who is now facing trail.

The police officer stated that the suspect was arrested with the cutlass and handset recovered from him. The matter, she further told the court was lodged at the old GRA police and later to state criminal investigation department under her care.

Okon’s counsel had pleaded the judge to consider the years the suspect had already stayed in detention coupled with the fact that there was delay in prosecuting the matter by the authorities.