Four suspects in Court for murder of two brothers in Aba

Aba,  July 7, 2021 

By Ijendu Iheaka

Four men arrested by the police in connection with the murder of Bright and Victory Chima were on Wednesday brought to an Aba High Court to answer for their alleged crimes.

Bright (9), and his brother Victory (7) were strangled to death in their father’s house at Abayi-Ogbuligba in Osisioma LGA, Abia on April 2, when their parents went out.

The men, Chigozie Ikeokwu, Amanna Temple, Chukwuebuka Nnamani and Chimezie Emmanuel were brought before Justice Teddy Eruba sitting at High Court III in Aba for arraignment.

However, the arraignment, which in law means presenting suspects in court and having them respond to questions of “guilty or not guilty” during a pre-trial session was botched.

The arraignment failed to hold because two of the men who allegedly took part in the murder of the two brothers had no lawyers to represent them legally in court.

When the matter with suit no HOS/13C/2021 was called up, Mr Chima Esom and Chidi Nwachukwu, announced appearances for Chimezie Emmanuel, and Chukwuebuka Nnamani, third and fourth respondents.

However, when the Judge inquired, the first and second defendant confirmed that they had no lawyer to represent them.

Eruba therefore told the prosecution led by a Senior State Counsel, Ms Uloaku Nwogu, and the defence lawyers representing the fourth respondent to take a date for a short adjournment.

Eruba said such a serious criminal case could not go on without the defendants having lawyers defending them.

Esom and Nwachukwu, the third and fourth defendants’ lawyers and the prosecution, however settled for August 4, 2021.

But before the judge ruled, the fourth defendant’s lawyer pleaded with the judge to move the suspects who were coming to court from state CID facility in Umuahia to Aba Correctional Centre.

He said this would reduce cost of moving them to court in Aba and to also give the lawyers easy access to their clients.

Eruba, after hearing from the prosecution lawyer, Nwogu who had no objection to the appeal, ordered the defendants to be transferred to Aba Correctional Centre.

Justice Eruba, further adjourned the case to August 4, for continuation of pre-trial.

He, however urged the first and second defendants to get themselves lawyers to defend them or risk having to remain in detention for a long time