Benin, Edo, Nigeria – By Oladipo Airenakho.
Five persons have now been arraigned by the Nigeria Police in connection with last Tuesday night brutal attack on Honourable Momoh Abdul-razak, a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Lawmaker, representing Etsako West 1 Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly.
They are Honourable Philip Shaibu, a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC) caucus in the Edo Assembly, Honorable Sunday Aghedo also an APC Lawmaker, Eboise Emmanuel, Promise Ogiso and Ernest Arasomwan.
The two Edo Assembly lawmakers and three others were arraigned at the Oredo Magistrate Court 1, Evboriaria, in Benin City, the State capital, presided over by Peter Edo Asemota Esq.
The arraignment of the accused put to rest the news report by some national daily newspapers in Nigeria that the Edo Assembly Speaker, Honorable Uyigue Igbe and Honorable Ogedengbe Folly had been arrested by the Police in connection with the incident and that they might be charged to court alongside others on Friday.
According to the one-page charge sheet, the five persons are accused on two-count charges of committing felony and assault, occasioning harm.
It read: ‘’That you Philip Shaibu ‘m’, Sunday Aghedo ‘m’, Eboise Emmanuel ‘m’, Promise Ogiso ‘m’, and Ernest Arasomwan ‘m’ and others now at large on the 7th day of October 2014 at Edo State legislators quarters, Benin City in Oredo Magisterial District did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit Assault occasioning harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap 48 vol. ii Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1976, now applicable in Edo State.”
‘’COUNT ii That you Philip Shaibu ‘m’, Sunday Aghedo ‘m’, Eboise Emmanuel ‘m’, Promise Ogiso ‘m’ and Ernest Arasomwan ‘m’ on the said date, time and in the aforementioned Magisterial District unlawfully assaulted one Hon. Momoh Abdul-Razak ‘m’ by hitting him with iron rod on his head which caused him harm and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 355 of the Criminal Code Cap 48. Vol. ii Laws of the defunct Bendel State of Nigeria 1976, now applicable in Edo State.’’
At the brief hearing for bail application the counsel to the accused persons, Barrister Joe Odebili prayed Magistrate Peter Asemota to admit his clients to lenient bail terms as this was within the discretion of the court to apply.
The prosecution counsel, though not harboring any strong objection to granting of bails to the accused persons however wanted the court to consider side-by-side the fact that the victim was still in hospital battling for his life and the seriousness of the offence committed.
In the subsequent bail ruling, Magistrate Peter Asemota not only granted bail to the two accused Assembly Lawmakers on their self recognitions, but also ruled that a bail bond of N200, 000 and a pensionable surety residing within the court jurisdiction be provided by each of the remaining three accused persons, amongst other requirements.
The case was adjoined to October 29, 2014.
Meanwhile, Honorable Philip Shaibu has said the EFCC have invited him to their Headquarters in Abuja next Monday.
This he revealed in an interview he granted news reporters at the Edo State Police Command while denying complicity in the attack on Honorable Momoh.
‘’We came on our own volition; they have kept us for over three hours in a matter we know nothing about. The EFCC has also invited us to Abuja on Monday.’’
Although the reason for this invitation by the EFCC is yet unknown, the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has before now raised alarm over alleged plot by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led Federal government to hound and incarcerate loyalists of Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
