A Magistrate Court sitting in Abakaliki, on Monday remanded a 20-year-old man, one Izuchukwu Akpu, for allegedly killing one Kenneth Nwakwo in the state, Vanguard Newspaper reports.
Vanguard learned that both the suspect, Akpu, and the deceased, Nwankwo, were apprentices in a Mechanic workshop in Abakaliki.
It was gathered that their master gave them N1,500.00 as feeding money on the day of the incident.
A source, who spoke with Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said trouble started when the suspect took back N800.00 out of the sum and gave the sum of N700.00 to the deceased, who rejected the unequal sharing.
As the argument ensued between them, it was further gathered, that the suspect picked a Screw Driver and stabbed the victim twice, and ran away.
“Nwankwo died on the way as he was being taken to the hospital after the incident.”
From Investigations the suspect committed the offence at No. 25 Nibo Street, Abakaliki, in the Abakaliki Local Government Area of the state, on November 14, 2020.
The Police Prosecutor, Mathias Eze, told the court that the offence was punishable under section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.
He was arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court on one count of murder, on Monday.
The charge read, “That you Izuchukwu Akpu ‘m’ on the 14th day of November 2020, at No. 5 Nibo Street, Abakaliki, under the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully kill one Kenneth Nwankwo ‘m’ by stabbing him with Screw Driver and thereby committed an offense punishable under section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State, Nigeria 2009.”
The suspect confessed to the crime and pleaded for mercy.
He said, “I killed Kenneth, but not intentionally. I didn’t know he would die. Our Oga gave us N1,500 and I gave him N700, he refused it. It was then that he held my trouser and said I must share the money equally. From there, we started fighting and I took a Screw Driver from the shop and stabbed him. Honestly, I didn’t know he would die.”
The Defense Counsel, Barr Benjamin Ufiem, pleaded with the court for leniency and asked that his client be granted bail.
But his bail application was opposed by the Prosecuting Counsel led by ASP Eze. The Prosecutor said the victim was lying dead in the morgue, adding that it was inhuman for the court to set the accused person free.
The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Nnenna Onuoha, maintained that the court lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter.
She ordered that the suspect be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, while his case file should be transferred to the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions in the state for necessary legal action.
The matter was adjourned to December 11, 2020.
