A Rivers State High Court in Port Harcourt will on July 28 resume the trial of four men linked with the robbery and murder of one Chidi Onwukwe, in Elelenwo, Port Harcourt.
The four, according to the charge marked PHC/667/CR/2022 filed by the Police, are Samuel Onwukwe, 49, (1st defendant) Andrew Epai Otanye, 27, (2nd defendant), Samuel Emmason, 26, (3rd defendant) and Promise George, 30, (4th defendant).
Justice Sylvester Popnen fixed the date following the absence of counsel for three of the defendants.
At the last hearing of the matter last Thursday, the first and third defendants informed the court that they did not have legal representations, while the fourth defendant was absent from court.
When counsel for the second Jane Okpamen, offered to stand in for all the suspects, Justice Popnen declined.
Police counsel Essien Edet notified the judge that the prosecution had an amended charge against the defendants.
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He applied for the old charge of March 2, 2022, to be substituted with an amended charge.
But Justice Popnen declined the withdrawal of the initial charge, pending when the defendants get legal representatives.
He adjourned till July 28 and ordered the defendants to be available in court on the adjourned date with their lawyers.
Speaking afterwards, Prof A. Amuda-Kannike, SAN, who held watching brief for the complainant, said he had applied for fiat in the case but would work with the police in the matter.
Amuda-Kannike expressed confidence in the court’s ability to deliver justice.
The charge against the defendants reads in part: “That you Samuel Onwukwe ‘M’, Andrew Epai Otanye ‘M’, Samuel Emmason ‘M’ and Promise George ‘F’, with others at large on or about the 27th January 2021 at Victory Estate Old Refinery Road, Elelenwo, Port Harcourt, while armed with guns and other dangerous weapons did rob one Mr. Chidi Onwukwe John of the following properties, one Samsung Galaxy and Samsung Galaxy S6 and one Toyota 4 Runner Jeep with Reg. No. LSD 335 FE, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 1(2) (a) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap R11 Laws of the Federation 2022.
“That you Samuel Onwukwe ‘M’, Andrew Epai Otanye ‘M’, Samuel Emmason ‘M’ and Promise George ‘F’, with others at large on or about the 27th January 2021 at Victory Estate Old Refinery Road, Elelenwo, Port Harcourt within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit: murder, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. 2 Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria.”