Category: Southeast report

Two men convicted of armed robbery in Enugu were counting down to a grim date with the hangman until their case was reviewed in their favour and have been set free. CHRIS OJI reports

I the hangman has any admirers, Somadina Onyia and Nkemjika Nwanoneze are not among them. Both men, plumbers by trade, were charged with armed robbery, tried and found guilty. The judge did not give them a length of time in prison. He decreed that they be hanged until certified dead. God save their souls. The court rose solemnly, and that was that. They started counting down to their death.

Death by hanging is pretty grim, probably more terrifying than being shot. Even the judge’s grave phrasing, “to hang until certified dead” was enough to send a deathly chill up the convicts’ spine.

Fate changed everything. That horror death was averted and freedom came the way of the two convicts, and also another man who was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Onyia and Nwanoneze were awaiting the hangman’s noose having been condemned to death for an armed robbery while the third was serving life imprisonment for allegedly buying a stolen car.

As soon as the news of their acquittal by the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu filtered through the premises of the Enugu Prisons, there was wild jubilation among the inmates. The beneficiaries of the landmark judgments include Somadina Onyia and Nkemjika Nwanoneze, both plumbers sentenced to death for alleged armed robbery, and Chinonso Ogbonna who was sentenced to life for allegedly buying a stolen car.

Since their conviction, Somadina Onyia and Nkemjika Nwanoneze had been waiting for the hangman’s noose until their counsel Sir OAU Onyema won the legal battle at the Court of Appeal Enugu.

The two young men’s journey to prison started when they were said to be returning from where they went for plumbing related work, and were arrested at Abakpa Enugu sometime in the year 2014 in connection with armed robbery, and were subsequently tried, convicted and sentenced to death.

Somadina Onyia and Nkemjika Nwanoneze were tried by an Enugu High Court which found them guilty in a judgment delivered by Justice N. R. Oji on December 11, 2015 convicting them for the offence of armed robbery as charged under Section 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap. R. 11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004. Consequently, they were sentenced to death by hanging.

Similarly, Chinonso Ogbonna whose travail started early in February 2014, when he purchased a stolen vehicle, product of armed robbery, was charged for the offence of armed robbery, under Special provisions of Section 1 (2) (a) of the Robbery and firearms (Special Provisions) Act Cap. R. 11 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

However, after the final submissions of his counsel Sir OAU Onyema at the lower court, the prosecution could not prove the offence of armed robbery which they charged Chinonso Ogbonna with.

The prosecution then sought for the trial court at Enugu State High court before Justice A.A. Nwobodo, to convict the then accused for a lesser offence of receiving stolen property- product of robbery in line with Section 5 of the robbery & Firearms (Special provisions) Act Cap RII Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Consequently, the trial court in a judgment delivered on October 31, 2016 convicted the appellant for the offence of receiving stolen property, a product of robbery, and sentenced him to life imprisonment with hard labour.

Penultimate week, however, the travail of Mr Chinonso Ogbonna ended, as the Court of Appeal sitting in Enugu in allowing the appeal canvassed by Onyema, upturned the judgment of the trial court, and declared the appellant (Chinonso Ogbonna) not guilty, and consequently discharged and acquitted him. The appellate judges simply described Chinonso Ogbonna as a victim of circumstance. The appellant was full of joy and thanks to the Almighty.     Their counsel, Onyema raised five grounds of appeal in both appeals vis:

1. That the trial court misdirected itself in law when it failed to evaluate the submissions of learned counsel to the appellant that the confessional statements admitted in evidence in the charge against the appellant were products of forgery, and ought not to be relied upon by the court; consequent upon which the court came to a wrong conclusion which caused miscarriage of justice.
2. That the trial court misdirected itself in law when it held that the prosecution has proved their case beyond reasonable doubt, in the face of all the multiple material inconsistencies and contradictions in the evidence of the prosecution.

III. That the Trial Court erred in law when it held, in the mist of the facts and scenario, as well as evidence of the prosecution, and all that transpired; that the Appellant was one of  the robbers, who committed the robbery.

1. That the trial Court erred in law when it discountenances the failure to call a vital witness on the part of the Prosecution; consequent upon which the court came to a wrong conclusion which caused miscarriage of justice.
2. That the verdict is unreasonable and cannot be supported having regard to the evidence.

The appellate court in a landmark judgment delivered by Justice Ignatius Igwe Agube , in Appeal No. CA.E.15C.2017 between one Chinonso Ogbonna Vs. State, discharged and acquitted the appellant, who had been on life imprisonment for a while now. The judgment was a unanimous judgment of the trio of   Justice Ignatius Igwe Agube, Justice Joseph Tine Tur and  Justice Rita Nosakhare Pemu JCA.  In allowing the appeal canvassed and argued  by the appellant Counsel, Onyema,  the Justices of the appellate Court, concurred with most of the issues raised, and saw reasons to declare the Appellant Chinonso Ogbonna, not guilty, and consequently discharged and acquitted

After the learned Counsels representing the State led by the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Chief Mellitus Eze, and the Counsels to the Appellants – led by Sir OAU Onyema argued the appeals; In the separate Judgments of the Court of Appeal Enugu, delivered on Friday, the 23rd day of March, 2018, in Appeal Nos: CA. E.44C.2017 and CA.E.45C.2017, the appellate Court inclined to the submissions of  the learned Appellants’ Counsel Chief Sir OAU Onyema who vehemently opposed the conviction and death sentence passed on the duo of Somadina Onyia and Nkemjika Nwanoneze; and found the appellants not guilty, and discharged and acquitted them.

When the news of their successful appeal, and the judgment discharging and acquitting them, was broken to them at the Prison, by their team of Lawyers led by Sir OAU Onyema, celebrations and praise to the most high rented the air, Tears of joy dropped uncontrollably from the men who hitherto had been anticipating death on daily basis since they were sentenced to death on 11th day of December, 2015.

The three beneficiaries of the latest judgments of Court of Appeal Enugu, promised to serve God all through their life; and to use the experience they shared in prison for the betterment of the society, while praying God to guide them in their new sojourn on earth, offered to them by the divine grace of God who gave them success in the Court of Appeal.

A group, Buhari/Osibanjo Initiative for Demonstrating Change in Nigeria has donated relief materials worth millions of naira to three communities affected by communal clashes in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The three communities are Ofenakpa, Ekpaomaka and Echi-Alike. Over 100 persons including security agents died in the crisis between the affected communities and their neighbours of Inyimagu, Amagu and Cross River State.

Many houses and other valuable properties were destroyed by war militia with over 5,000 persons displaced.

Yesterday, the pro-Buhari’s group visited IDP camps of the three communities and donated items including tubers of yam, bags of rice, cooking condiments, bags of water and cash to ameliorate their sufferings.

Addressing the displaced persons in their respective camps, National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Chinedu Ogah said the gesture was to compliment efforts of President Muhammadu Buhari in addressing challenges facing IDPs in the country.

“We saw their sufferings and decided to lay a helping hand on them. They are human beings like us, they are our brothers and sisters and we need to care for them. While we are privileged, they are less privileged in their conditions.

“We also do this to support Mr. President having seen what he is doing. He just visited Yobe, Adamawa, Benue and so many other states that have IDPs”, Ogah said.

The former PDP youth leader, Ebonyi state who was endorsed by elders of Ekpelu the ancestral home to contest the House of Representatives for Ikwo/Ezza South federal constituency, said he will pay more attention to the less-privileged.

 

The Commander-General of Abia State Vigilance Group (ASVG) aka Bakassi Boys Idika Martins Mba has called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Abubakar Idris not to disarm the group but rather see it as a sister security agency.

Mba said that his group, like others in various states of the federation, has been assisting the police in the state in the area of combating heinous crimes and other offences.

He noted that the Bakassi Boys was created by a law enacted by the state House of Assembly years ago.

Mba who spoke against the backdrop of the recent call by the IGP that all security agencies with arms should be disarmed, said that such call will invite anarchy and will be an open ticket for criminals to operate without fear.

Speaking in Umuahia, the state capital, when a group known as KASCO-G Events bestowed an award on him for the security works they have been doing in every part of the state, Mba sad that security is everyone’s business and that all should be involved.

The ASVG boss recalled that since their coming into existence that the group has recorded tremendous achievements in the area of crime control such as arrest of armed robbers, kidnappers, child traffickers and cultists among others.

He explained that whenever they arrest any suspects, “Such persons are handed over to the police for onward persecution at the end of their investigations as our job starts and ends at arrest of suspects while the police conducts further thorough investigations”.

Mba said that his group has done well in the area of security which is their main business, “By assisting all sister security agencies as my group has the right and mandate of the state government to security life and property of the citizenry”.

The ASVG commander-general used the forum to commend governor Okezie Ikpeazu for providing them with the necessary funds to run the group and also his deputy chief of staff Chief Ukpai Agwu Ukpai for his fatherly advice, while pledging their commitment to do more.

Earlier the the board chairman of the KASCO-G group, Chief Temple Nwosu said that the commander-general is being honored for the wonderful service his group has been rendering to the state in the area of crime control.

Nwosu explained that the ASVG has done well in combating crimes despite the enormous challenges they face and urged government to do more to enable them perform better in their onerous task of fighting crimes in the state.

He used the forum to call on the federal government to look at others ways to fight crimes instead of disarming those who have done well to help other security agencies in checkmating the rising crime rate across the country.

The KASCO-G director general noted that the good works the ASVG has being doing speaks for them, adding that the federal government should recognize their good works which he said will enable them to do more.

The facility has been around since 1962, an idea of the colonialists, and stood out like a beacon, offering top quality health care for a good part of the Southeast, and even patients from Rivers State. The Aba General Hospital boasted well-trained medical personnel. It also provided a training ground for staff of the Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH). The facility equally accommodated ABSUTH medical students, as well as those of School of Nursing and Midwifery under the management of the Abia State Teaching Hospital.

Many ABSUTH medical college students sheltering under Aba General Hospital’s roof have relocated to their permanent site at Ayaba Umueze but the nursing and midwifery students and other administrative staff of the hospital stayed behind.

It is those who remained behind that the state governor Okezie Ikpeazu advised to join their counterparts at Ayaba Umunze so the General Hospital could be renovated and relaunched for better services.

Why did he issue the directive? The hospital has lost much of its glory.

The directive has been complied with, and the renovation has been completed. The Aba General Hospital has new life breathed into it and residents of Aba and beyond are excited.

The reopening of the hospital attracted the presence of traditional rulers especially from Aba North and South local government areas of the state. Government functionaries including the Commissioner for Health, Mr. John Ahukanna, were also there.

In a speech, Dr. Mrs. Ijeoma Nduka, the Chief Executive Hospitals Management Board (HMB) stated that the history of Aba General whose rebirth they came to celebrate is as old as the history of Nigeria and regretted how the health facility bequeathed to the state by the colonial administration degenerated and allowed to decay over the years.

Dr. Nduka recalled the role Ikpeazu played during the 2017 “World Breastfeeding Week” by approving free antenatal care registration for every pregnant woman as well as subsidised delivery cost for every expectant mother who delivered in any of the General Hospitals in the state. He said that the governor has demonstrated “unwavering commitment” to the health of the state residents.

The HMB chief executive while promising of improved healthcare services urged the state governor to assist the board in reroofing the entire Hospital complex, provision of vehicles and Ambulances, funds for equipping the hospital with state of the art equipment to meet the required international standard.

Dr. Reginald Alozie, the chairman HMB in his speech said that he was overwhelmed with joy over the re-opening of the Aba General Hospital despite the financial challenges facing the state and thanked the Governor for his magnanimity in approving funds and giving them waivers for the replacement of medical and non-medical staff including the purchase of “quality” equipment which the hospital needed to function as a healthcare providing institution.

Alozie who noted that the facility would compliment efforts of other Primary and Secondary health facilities in the state in providing good and quality healthcare services to Abians and Abia residents, called on Aba residents and its environs to ensure that they protect the facility and patronize the hospital.

Responding, Ikpeazu said, “This hospital is regarded as the health soul of Aba. The position of Aba General Hospital in the heart of every indigene and indeed, residents of this place, is a place of pride because at one time or the other, you must have had something to do with this General Hospital. This General Hospital was associated with all kinds of relief both for pregnant women, children from 0-5 years, the elderly and the aged, victims of road traffic accident, victims of factory and industrial accidents and people with all kinds of general illness. The place to go to and get treated was the Aba General Hospital.

“It was safe, secure and renowned for the best of the medical services. A few years ago, the story changed. What we saw 10 years ago was that they have backlog of students who had come here to be trained as nurses in their general nursing programme and probably midwifery programmes abandoned for 10 years without being licensed to practice. What it meant was that a little girl who entered school here hoping that after three years here that she will become a nurse as a teen, ended up celebrating her 25 years without a certificate of a licensed nurse.

“But to the glory of God, within the first 18 months of my administration, we were able to restore the capacity and the credibility of this nursing school to the status where it is today has cleared backlog of those who were not being cleared and has continued to train nurses.

“Today is yet another milestone because I don’t know what Aba people will do if this General Hospital isn’t functional. Today we have tried to do something around the fundamental infrastructure; refurbishing houses and the facility that will be used for the treatment of sick persons.

“I want to congratulate Dr. Ijeoma and her team for their resilient that led to what is seeing here today by making sure that she seizes every opportunity she has to remind me of the need for the Aba General Hospital to become functional. It is to her credit that we have come here to do this.

“I have seen a tomorrow for this place, greater than what we have ever seen before. I see tomorrow where people will come into this place and God will heal them. I see a day when pregnant women will not have to pay too much to give birth to their children safe and healthy. I look forward to day when the elderly will come here for medical treatment and they will get well. I look forward to a day when traders will come and when they will be given drugs for their different ailment they will get well. I look forward to a day when the best equipment handled and managed by Abians living abroad will brought in this hospital for the purpose of treating and giving Abians quality healthcare.

“This is our dream and desire. We will not rest until we will achieve that. I want to say straight away that the only way you can encourage someone who is working hard is giving him or her necessary support that they need. Therefore, the reward for hard work for all the persons involved in making this project a reality is another work. You will continue to work on this place. We will not overlook here until we achieve that which we have resolved to achieve.”

Fourteen-year-old Samuel Ibekason wants to move the world. After building a motorised tricycle, the Junior Secondary School 2 pupil in Abia State is looking forward to making cars, if only someone can facilitate his study overseas in order to learn more. SUNNY NWANKWO tracked him down in Bende Local Government Area of the state.

At 14 he does not think like his peers. His obsession is fashioning things, especially those that move. Samuel Ibekason’s father repairs radio and television sets, and it is probable that his engineering trait  comes from his dad’s gene. He has also been watching his father closely.

He said he wants to be a renowned auto mechanical engineer, who will make cars, not just fix them. To prove his claims and passion, young Ibekason has already built a miniaturised, automated tricycle, which he said is an improvement on existing tricycles commonly called keke. Before his fifth birthday, he produced a robot.

Excerpts of Nwankwo’s interview with Ibekason:

What is your name?

My name is Samuel Ibekason. I am from Umuotarazu Ibinaukwu Igbere in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State. We live at No. 21, Osimiri II, Owerre Aba in Aba South Local Government Area. I am 14 years old. The name of my school is Best Intellectual School. We are five in my family; two boys and a girl including my parents. My mother sells provisions in a store while my father repairs TV, radio and other electrical appliances.

Where did you get the idea to do what you are doing?

It is a natural gift from God. When I was four years old, I built a robot using old slippers. After that, I started using slippers to construct cars, tippers. At the initial stage, the cars were immobile. But much later, the idea of having a moving car and others came to me. At this point, I approached my Dad and he supported the idea. He gave me bulbs, radio motor and other things that I used to construct the first car that I constructed. The first car which is my brand is a High Runner, but not the kind of Highlander that we all know because I built it using my own concept and design. I have other cars that I have been able to build including this tricycle.

What motivated you to develop the tricycle?

What motivated me to build the things that I have been able to build is my passion and dream to launch my brand of indigenous automobile in the future. The tricycle that I have with me is to show people what I can do and whoever that likes it will appreciate what I have done.

There are things that I did in this keke which makes it unique from the normal keke that we see on the streets. I am keeping that to my heart because I wouldn’t want people to steal my idea and improve on what I have done so far.

What class are you?

I am in JSS2 at Best Intellectual Academy No. 9 Onwutebe Street.

What materials did you use to build the tricycle?

The parts I used are carton, thick glass, marker, pencil, slippers, plastic cover, battery and motor radio which I used as propeller.

If I have the proper education and training, I am sure that I will do better from what I have been able to do so far. Like I told you, I want to be known and my brand of car recognised in the world. Like the tricycle that you are seeing, it is an improvement of what we already have and now that they are talking about phasing out car and other automobiles using alternative source of power supply, I want to build cars and tricycles that will be using special kind of rechargeable battery to limit both noise and air pollution in our society.

What are you telling the government?

I am appealing for both government and private sponsorship so that I can go overseas for training and exposure so that when I will be through with my studies, I can come back here to establish my own factory and at the same time, employ people that will help me to produce more cars and create employment for the unemployed youths and even adults.

I know that when I establish a plant here and produce here, my products are going to be cheaper and long-lasting as well especially now that the federal government is talking about buying made-in-Aba or Nigeria. I am also going to use my factory to create jobs for the teeming unemployed youths roaming the streets looking for job. Because I know that if jobs were created for the youths, crime of all kinds will be reduced and there will be peace in the society.

My dad and my mum have been supportive since I started doing this project. In fact, my dad in particular has been giving me some of the things that I have been using to work from scraps.