An Anambra Justice of the Peace’s Court docket sitting in Onitsha has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of defendants who failed to seem for an alleged felony trial.
The Justice of the Peace, Ukamaka B. Okoye, rejected a physician’s medical report tendered within the defendants’ favour after listening to submissions from counsel within the case.
The defendants are Ifeanyichukwu Chiekwu, 45, Ostia Okoro, 42, and Ugochukwu Mbaekwe, 52. They face a two-count cost of illegal destruction of property and unlawfully and wilfully damaging or knocking down a seven-room duplex underneath building, valued at N200 million, belonging to 1 Okechukwu Elowue.
The police, in go well with No. MO/218/2025, are prosecuting the defendants and others now at massive for allegedly destroying the property on Might 14, 2024, at Trans Nkisi Structure, Part II, 3-3, Onitsha Magisterial District.
The alleged offence is punishable underneath Part 495(a) of the Legal Code Cap 36 Vol. II Revised Legal guidelines of Anambra State of Nigeria 1991 (as amended).
One of many counts learn: That you just, Ifeanyichukwu Chiekwu “m”, Ostia Okoro “m”, Ugochukwu Mbaekwe “m” and others, now at massive, on Might 14, 2024, on the above-mentioned place and Magisterial District did unlawfully and wilfully harm or pull down a seven-room duplex underneath building, valued at N200 million, property of 1 Okechukwu Elowue “m”, and thereby dedicated an offence punishable underneath Part 7 of the Prohibition of Fraudulent Follow on Land and Property Regulation of Anambra State 2017.
Counsel to the first and third defendants argued on the deliberate arraignment that they had been absent attributable to sickness and offered a physician’s report back to that impact. He additionally submitted that the third defendant was not conscious of the pending case, because the cost sheet and arraignment discover weren’t served on him.
Nevertheless, the Justice of the Peace interjected: “This has been the fashion of the first and third defendants,” reminding the counsel that on the final sitting they promised to carry the first defendant to court docket, solely to return with one other excuse of in poor health well being and a physician’s report. “Anybody can get a physician’s report and current it to court docket.”
Addressing counsel to the third defendant, she stated: “In case your shopper is claiming not to concentrate on the case pending in opposition to him, he ought to have come to court docket at the moment to inform the court docket that he was not served an arraignment discover. As a substitute, you’re presenting a medical report that he has hypertension. He isn’t coming to court docket to farm; we’ve got seats the place he can sit and handle the court docket on whether or not he was served or not served with an arraignment discover. The 2nd defendant was additionally not in court docket and had no lawyer to symbolize him.”
In his submission, the prosecuting Police Officer, ASP Hassan Ochoofu, requested the court docket to difficulty a bench warrant for the three defendants. He narrated makes an attempt by the defendants to frustrate the case, together with intimidating the complainant and refusing to just accept arraignment notices. “They don’t seem to be prepared to return to court docket except a bench warrant is issued for his or her arrest,” Ochoofu stated.
After listening to all events, the court docket issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendants and adjourned the case until November 4, 2025, for additional listening to.
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