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THIRTY-SIX supporters of the PDP and ANPP who were arrested for engaging in bloody clash at the premises of the Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) Asaba on the day of the re-scheduled local government elections in the state were yesterday arraigned before an Asaba Chief Magistrate's court amidst water-tight security.
Throughout the period they were brought to the court premises located at Ogbe-Ilo quarters Asaba, all the access roads leading to the court were barricaded and cordoned off by stern-looking anti-riot policemen who came to the court in their large numbers. Six pick-up vans belonging to Operation Fire-for-Fire and Delta Storm were strategically positioned within the vicinity of the court.
Eleven of them who were charged on a separate charge sheet for alleged murder during the incident were refused bail by the presiding Chief Magistate, Mr. Ngozi Jideonwo and were all ordered to be remanded in prison custody, while their case was adjourned to May 10, 2004.
Prosecution listed their names as Joseph Semekumor 37, Philip Ebioned, 23, Goddy Enebuogony 25, Thursday Boy, 38 and Chief Blackman Toman 52. Others are Anboukou Kemezide 54, Paul Akara, 28, Clark Polo 28, Kingsley Olu 21, Emmanuel Puri 21 and Godwin Okoro 33.
According to the prosecution, the accused persons and others now at large on the 3rd day of April, 2004, "at the state INEC office Asaba in the Asaba Magisterial District did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit murder and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code Cap 77 Vol 5 of the 1990 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria".
Part of the seven-count charge preferred against them further reads "that you (accused persons) and others now at large on the 3/4/2004 at the state INEC office Asaba in the Asaba magisterial district murdered one Lawason Okiah, a male and thereby committed an offence punishable uder Section 319 of the Criminal Code Cap 77 Vol 5 of 1990 of the Federation of Nigeria.
On the other hand, the other 25 accused persons separately charged on a six-count were alleged by the prosecution to have "riotously assembled together and unlawfully destroyed one V Boot Mercedez Benz 190 with registration number Delta AI 627 ASB and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 76 of the Criminal Code Cap 77 volume V of 1990 Laws of the Federal of Nigeria."
Counsel to these set of accused persons, Mr. T. T. Mezeh pleaded for their bail assuring the Magistrate that his clients would not jump bail in any form. After listening to the arguments of the counsel which was not resisted by the prosecution, the trial Chief Magistrate Jideonwo granted them bail in the sum of N250,000 each and adjourned the case to April 28.
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