ALUU 4: Alleged killers know bail decision October

A Port Harcourt High Court has fixed 17 October for ruling in a bail application for the 12 accused persons being tried for allegedly killing four students of the University of Port Harcourt.

The students were killed by a mob at Aluu, near the school in October 2012.

Justice Latan Nyordee, gave the date on Thursday after submissions by the prosecution and the defence counsel in respect of the application.

The Solicitor-General of Rivers, Mr Rufus Godwins, who is the lead prosecutor, objected to the bail on the ground that he had filed a counter affidavit against it.

He urged the court to reject the bail made for the ninth to 12th accused persons, in spite of the non capital offence in their charge.

Godwins also objected to the bail made for the first to eighth accused persons on the ground that they were charged for a capital offence, murder.

“It is unusual for an accused charged with murder to be granted bail except on the ground of his health condition by medical report which none of them have cogent evidence to back up.

“Even a medical report brought as an evidence for the seventh accused person is suspect, it is on this ground that I urge the court not to grant bail to the accused,” he said.

Mr Kehinde Joshua, counsel to the first accused person had prayed the court to grant his client bail because his alleged offence was bailable.

Joshua said that the court should admit his application for the accused person to be granted bail.

DSP Rapheal Ezechi, attached to the Criminal Investigation Department, said the four students were stripped naked and killed by a mob before the police got to the scene.