Court Remands Man Over Alleged Kidnapping

A thirty-four-year middle
aged man, Victor Kitoye has been remanded in prison custody by a Port-Harcourt Chief Magistrate Court presided over by E.C. Woke for an alleged kidnapping and other criminal offences on charge sheet number PMC/219C/14.
The accused person, Victor Kitoye is standing trial on four court charge of kidnapping, unlawful possession of firearms, demand of ransom and belonging to secret cult before Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Woke.
The prosecuting police officer, Inspector Edward Ogiezele told the court that the accused person, Victor Kitoye and others now at large on 24th day of February 2013 at Otari on Abua-Odual Local Government Area of the State in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District did conspire amongst themselves to commit felony to wit: kidnapping.
The prosecutor also told the court that the accused person and others now at large on the same date, place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, while armed with AK47 rifles and other dangerous weapons and with intent to demand ransom, did kidnap one Joseph Sokolo aged 4 years old and unlawfully imprisoned him in such a manner as to prevent his relations or any other person entitled to have access to him and from discovering the place where he was imprisoned.
The prosecution stated that the accused on the same date and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District, with intent to extort, did demand with menaces the sum of Twenty Million Naira (N20m) from one Jephter, son of Mr Joseph Sokolo while he was in the accused’s custody, with threat of not releasing him if  his demand was not complied with.
The prosecutor further disclosed that the accused person and others now at large within the jurisdiction of the court did belong and participated in the activities of secret cult known and called as “Greenlander” adding that the accused person committed an offence punishable under section 516A(1) and 406 of the criminal code, Cap, 37 Vol. 11, laws of Rivers State 1999, section 1(2)(b) of the Rivers State Kidnap Prohibition) laws No. 3 of 2009 and section 1(a) of Secret Cult and Similar Activities (prohibition) law No. 6 of Rivers State 1999.
In his ruling, the presiding Chief Magistrate Court II, E.C. Woke remanded the accused in Port Harcourt prison custody on the ground that the court lacked jurisdiction to handle the matter. He, however, ordered that the original case file be forwarded to the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice on the matter. The case was later adjourned to May 5, 2014 for DPP advice.