Court docks Benue Teaching Board boss, 3 others for assaulting staff

A chief magistrates’ court sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, on Thursday,  put in the dock the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Teaching Board (TSB), Mr James Aondona Pine, in the  case of criminal force and assault levelled  against him by one of his staff members, James Asema.

Also  docked were Iorpuur Laha; Akende Usu and Ihongo Daniel Tsevende, all staff of the board who  were witnesses to the accused  when the matter came out for defence.

The complainant, who is an in-law to the state governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, had filed a case of public assault on his person by the defendant who is his boss at the board.

But when counsel for the complainant, Mr Adi Demeer, sought to tender a previous statement of the accused person, which was directly in relation to the matter in court, pursuance to Section 2 3 1 of the evidence act 2011, the defence  counsel, Ambrose Ikpa, objected to the admissibility of the said document.

Consequent to this, the presiding  Magistrate, Dan Ogo, adjourned the case for ruling on the objection raised and continuation of hearing raised by the defence  to September 29, 2016

Fielding questions from journalists on why the defence  witnesses were not cross-examined in court,  counsel for the complainant said  the 1,2 and 3  defence witnesses were not cross-examined by him because their evidences were not related to the issue before the court.