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Aluu 4: Suspects’ Trial Suffers Setback
The trial of the eleven suspects including the traditional ruler of Aluu community in Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State, Alhaji Hassan Welewa who allegedly killed four students of University of Port Harcourt, Choba, on October 5, 2012, suffered a major setback yesterday.
The trial judge, Justice T.S.Orji said she was declining jurisdiction to abjudicate on the matter because of her family ties with the parties involved in the murder case.
Justice Orji’s decision to withdraw from the matter as well as return the case file to the state Chief Judge, Justice Iche Ndu for reassignment to another judge was heightened yesterday when she noticed that the third accused person, Ikwuchukwu Louis Amadi did not have a lawyer to defend him.
Although, the prosecution team from the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) led by Barrister I Otorubio and other lawyers announced their appearance in the matter, the judge became more worried when she noticed that no counsel appeared for the third accused person.
The trial judge, who was not comfortable with the development, said she would rather return the case file to the Chief Judge than assume jurisdiction and proceed with the trial, adding that she would not take sides in the matter.
According to her, it was safer to send the matter back to the Chief Judge for re-assignment than favour any party in this matter, adding that her hands were tied in the case because she had close relationship with the accused persons and victims in the matter.
“I am related to the victims by birth and some of the accused persons by marriage. I know the accused persons, the victims I know. My hands are tied in this matter. Iam sitting between the devil and the deep blue sea”, she declared.
Justice Orji averred that her decision to return the case to the Chief Judge should not be misconstrued as lack of competence to handle the matter but because of the sensitive nature of the case.
She opined that the case had received widespread publicity and had attracted much attention, adding that the image of the judiciary had to be protected.
‘It is a matter that has attracted widespread publicity, the judiciary wants to maintain its image. It is not a matter of incompetence, but because of its sensitive nature”, she added.
She expressed confidence in the state judiciary to handle every case, stressing that the vital point in the Aluu case was not that justice should be done, but it must be seen to have been done, insisting that she would not satisfy anybody to circumvent justice.
It would be recalled that on October 5,2012 at Aluu, near Choba, four students of the University of Port Harcourt, Ugonna Obuzor, Lloyd Toku Mike, Tekenah Elkanah and Chadika Biringa were allegedly murdered by persons identified as residents and indigenes of Aluu community.
The suspects were arrested afterward and arraigned before the Chief Magistrate Court presided over by Emmanuel Woke who remanded the accused persons in prison custody for lack of jurisdiction.
The case was subsequently transferred to the High Court based on the advice of the DPP.
Speaking to journalists shortly after the sitting, counsel to one of the accused persons, Mr Kennedy Amos said the Bar was pleased with the decision of the judge in the interest of justice and to avoid casting aspersions on the judiciary.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.