22nd February, 2011
Thirteen persons on Monday appeared before an FCT High Court in Abuja charged with setting five luxury buses ablaze at Jabi Park.
The accused, who are workers in Jabi Motor Park, are charged with conspiracy, disturbing public peace, causing hurt and setting the buses ablaze.
The accused are Maduagwuna Jude, Ikeokwu Ikpeama, Sunday Onwutali, Christian Ojukwu, Basil Agbo and Ifeanyi Eze.
Others are Sunday Okolo, Chukwuma Ideanyi, Abdulaziz Musa, Chigozie Obgaji, Ozoemenam Ogbonna, Sunday Ani and Chinedu Nwachi.
A witness, Monday Elimigbe, who said that he was a Manager for the developer of the Park, Chief Eugene Ojukwu, told the court that on May 30, 2009, 21 mobile policemen were deployed to the park to quell a fight.
Elimigbe said he had earlier called the two groups, who were involved in the fight, to resolve the disagreement.
He further told the court that when he could not resolve it, he wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Police, who ordered the arrest of everybody in the fight for questioning.
Elimigbe said that two groups at the park were given approval by the police to take charge of the small buses while the managers of the luxury buses were not changed.
The witness said the development was sustained for only a month when Ikeokwu Ikpeama allegedly began a fresh crisis in which the managers of the luxury buses were beaten.
Elimigbe further said that he was told that some of the accused were wetting the luxury buses at the park with petrol, adding that before the arrival of the police, the buses had already been burnt.
Prosecuting Counsel Oghenovo Otemu asked for an adjournment to enable him to bring six more witnesses.
The Judge, Justice Ugochukwu Ogakwu, adjourned the matter to March 24 for further hearing.
Copyright protected by Digiprove © 2011 P.M.News