A State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt Thursday, remanded 75 persons to the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre in connection with the murder of the Divisional Police Officer of Ahoada, SP Bako Angbashim.
The suspects, who are standing trial on two counts of conspiracy to murder and a felony in charge sheet number PHC/3208/CR/2023, were arrested after Angbashim was captured and butchered by a suspected cult group led by David Okpala, popularly called 2-baba in Odiemudie community, Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State in September. this year.
Those remanded included a former Chairman of Ahoada East LGA, His Majesty Cassidy Ikegbidi who is now the paramount ruler of Igbu-Akoh Kingdom in the area, Eze Ekpeye Logbo, His Majesty, Ngozi Anugwo, Eze Felix Otuwarikpo and 72 others.
The defendants, who were arraigned in court by the Commissioner of Police, did not take their plea, as the bail application by one of the defendant’s lawyers, Dejo Laminkara, was opposed by the prosecuting counsel, Eniyepiri Sikpi.
The trial judge, Justice Henry Sika Aprioku, after listening to the argument by the lawyers, ordered that the defendants be remanded to the Port Harcourt Maximum Correctional Centre and adjourned the case till November 21, 2023, for plea and bail consideration.
