Judiciary
A 60-year-old man, Sunday Okeke and his son, Ebere, 33, were on Wednesday arraigned in an Enugu Magistrates’ Court for allegedly assaulting a neighbour, Edmond Emeka.
The defendants, who reside at Enugu East Local Government Area, were arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and assault, offences they denied committing.
The prosecutor, Insp. Matthew Opara, told the court that the matter was reported at the Enugu State Police Command on Sept. 23, by Emeka, the complainant.
Opara said the complainant alleged that the defendants attacked him and inflicted injuries on him because he reported them to the police at Aninri, for extending their septic tank into his land.
When the matter came up for hearing, the younger Okeke, told the court that the police obtained a statement from him under duress.
He denied conspiring with his father to beat up the complainant, alleging that it was Emeka that destroyed their property , a shop, which the family depended on for survival.
Counsel to the defendants, Mr A. Aneke, said that it was wrong for the prosecutor to place his client on trial after their objection to the admissibility of the purported statement tendered as exhibit by prosecution.
However, the prosecutor denied the allegation that the statement obtained from the defendants was by duress and urged the court to continue with the matter.
The magistrate, Mr J. Umezurike, said it was important to ascertain if really the defendant made his statement under duress.
He adjourned the matter until Nov. 28 for continuation of hearing.
–NAN
BE
– Nov. 7, 2018 @ 15:59 GMT |
Tags: Father son arraigned over alleged assault of neighbour
