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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.
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