Ebonyi PDP aspirant remanded in prison for stealing

EBONYI State house of Assembly aspirant under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and chairman Abakaliki Rice Miller’s Association, Deacon Joseph Ununu is now remanded in prison custody for allegedly stealing police gun and involving in cultism.

The chairman is said to have on the 10th day of May 2018 at Okpoitimo community in Abakaliki local government area stolen Tokarov pistol with breech number 49110819 valued four hundred thousand naira only and five live ammunition both belonging to Nigeria Police force.

In the four-count charges suit numbered MAB/638c/2018, the 44-year-old chairman popularly known as Zuma was also accused of unlawfully belonging to a secret cult group know as Aye confraternity.

He thereby committed offences punishable under sections 516A(a),390(5) both of criminal code cap 33 vol 1 laws of Ebonyi state of Nigeria 2009,and offence contrary to section 3(1)(2)(3)(4) and punishable under section 5 of Ebonyi state law prohibiting secret cult activities and carrying of offensive weapon in Ebonyi state cap 12 vol 1 laws of Ebonyi state of Nigeria 2009.

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On the 12th day of August 2018 during the arraignment, the team of defense counsels which include Barr Sunday Ununu Esq, Gloria Onyeoma and Calistus Egbe applied for bail of the accused person.

The matter was adjourned to the 12th day of November 2018 for report of compliance and further prosecutions at the high court.

Tribune online learnt that the said stolen police gun got lost under the custody of an officer of the Force identified as Emeka Nwali at the aforementioned place and date, hence his arraignment alongside the suspect.

The officer was accused of not taking proper precautions against any probable danger by exposing himself and gun to members of the public which caused loss of the firearm and thereby committed offence punishable under section 343(1)( h)of criminal code cap 33 vol 1 laws of Ebonyi state of Nigeria 2009.

On his part, the presiding Magistrate, Olughu, granted the officer bail of N500,000, to provide one surety who must be a civil servant not less than grade level 12, surety must be a resident within jurisdiction of the court, his address to be verified by police, surety to deposit current passport and that of the accused with Registrar of the court.

He ordered that the surety should also deposit his work ID, GEN. 35 and the matter was adjourned to the 22nd day of October 2018 for hearing.