NAN-H-97
Representation
By Nicholas Obisike
Enugu, Jan. 16, 2016 (NAN) An Enugu State High Court presided over by Justice Afamefuna Nwobodo on Monday ordered two suspects accused of unlawful possessions of firearm to urgently acquire a legal counsel for representation.
The two suspects, Arinze Okenwa and Ernest Ani are facing a three-count charge of threat to life, violence and unlawful possession of firearms.
Nwobodo gave the order when he discovered that the accused persons had no legal counsel to represent them.
The judge, however, urged a legal practitioner in the court, Foster Okoye to represent the second accused person, Ani pro bono.
Okenwa and Ani, who hail from Amagunze in Nkanu East Area of the state were supposed to take their plea, but their inability to present a legal counsel for their case stalled the plea.
The prosecuting counsel, Miss Joy Inya-Agha urged the court to transfer the case to Agbani in Nkanu West Local Government which was its place of jurisdiction.
Nwobodo declined the plea and advised the prosecutor to leave the matter for the sake of the legal counsel that would handle the matter free of charge.
He ordered the first accused, Okenwa who said that his counsel was absent to bring the person to court on March 6 for plea.
In another development, the court also adjourned a case of armed robbery involving Chinaza Nwabueze and Chukwuma Uhiara till March 13 for plea.
The prosecuting counsel, Miss Inya-Agha told the court that she had been trying to get across to the accused person, but to no avail due to complications.
Fabian Uhiara, who was the accused father and prison warder that took him on surety, told the court that he was not informed of the date.
“I was not aware of this date, I only heard that the case is coming up today in the morning and my son was at the village,’’ he said.
He confirmed that his son was granted bail on March 22, 2016, adding that he was not aware that the case would come up on Jan.16.
Nwobodo ordered him to bring his son to court on March 13 to take his plea. (NAN)
NUO/MNA/EEE
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Edited by Maureen Atuonwu/Ese E. Ekama