Court Remands Alleged Killers Of Omudioga OSPAC Commander

A Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Justice Sika Aprioku has remanded six persons on a 10-count charge of murder, kidnapping, cultism among others at Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
The six defendants, who were arraigned at the High Court yesterday, were among other charges, accused of the murder of Omudioga OSPAC commander, late Alex Umezuruike.
Count 10 reads thus: “That you Okechukwu Orji, M, Iheanyi Igwe, ‘M’, Promise Igwe, ‘ M’, Morrison Igwe, “ M”, Goodness Monday, ‘M’, and Monday Diwe with others now at large on the same date and place, in the aforesaid judicial division, did unlawfully kill a former OSPAC commander, Omudioga community, late Alex Umezuruike and thereafter cut off his head, hands and other vital parts of his body which you later buried in a shallow grave before fleeing away, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 319(1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37 Volume 2, Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.
The defendants, who pleaded not guilty to the charges read to them upon arraignment were remanded pending the hearing of the charges against them.
The matter which has Charge No : PHC/3668/CR/2021 is between the Inspector General of Police as Complainant, while the six accused persons are defendants.
The defendants are : Okechukwu Orji, 37, Igwe Promise, male, aged 31 and Iheanyi Igwe, male, aged 19.
Others are Morrison Igwe, male, aged 25, Goodness Monday, male, 28 and Alex Diwe 30.
The sixth defendant, Alex Diwe told The Tide that he knew nothing about the matter and accused the police of charging him alongside the accused persons because he could not provide money for bail.
It would be recalled in the statements made to the police by the defendants, only the 6th defendants had nothing to do with the charges.
The other five defendants had made incriminating statements against one another except the 6th defendant.
Justice Aprioku adjourned the matter to the 25th of February, 2022, for hearing.

By: John Enyie