By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Court hearing for the kidnap charge preferred against two kidnap suspects, Jude Odumegwu and Nwokolo Maxwell, standing trial before an Nnewi High Court 1, over the alleged kidnapping of the Labour Party (LP) Governorship Candidate, Obiora Agbasimalo, again stalled for the second time.

This followed the absence of Mr. China Gift Esq, the counsel to the first defendant, Odumegwu.

Agbasimalo, the Governorship Candidate of LP in 2021, was kidnapped on September 18, 2021 at Lilu community in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State while returning from a campaign rally and has not been found till date.

Barely one month ago, the absence of Thompson Ogunenwu Esq, the counsel to the second defendant, Maxwell, equally stalled the hearing in the matter which would have marked the beginning of the trial process in the kidnap charge against the suspects.

When the matter was called up last Friday, the presiding Judge if the court, Justice C N Mbonu-Nwenyi, agreed that the first defence counsel, Gift Esq, duly informed the court through a telephone call that he was in Abuja for another urgent matter of national interest and as such would not be present in court to this particular sense.

Justice Mbonu-Nwenyi noted that a criminal case of this nature cannot go on without the presence of defence counsel. She adjourned the matter to November 17, 2023 for definite hearing and to enable all the parties be present in court for the Suit No. HIH/15C/22.

The Department of State Services, SS was the first to arraign the accused persons before a Magistrate court sitting at Awka, the state capital in 2022 Charge No. NAW/506/2022 on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.

After the charge was read, the court consequently remanded them in the prison custody without taking their plea.

According to the charge read by the DSS in court, the accused persons had on September, 18, 2021,:at Lilu in Ihiala Local Government Area of Anambra State, allegedly attacked and caused the disappearance of the victim, Obiora Agbasimalo.

The offences, the prosecution stated, are contrary to Section 495 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap.36, Vol.11, Revised Laws of Anambra State of Nigeria, 2009.

While remanding the suspects in the prison custody, the Magistrate court also ordered the police to transfer the case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal action.

On receiving the case file, the DPP, in turn, came up with the same two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.

In the charge prepared by N.J Nwankwo Esq, the DPP alleged that while armed with guns and other offensive weapons, the accused persons kidnapped Obiorah Agbasimalo against his will and thereafter demanded for a ransom of N1million, N5million and another N1 million totalling N7million from his family for his release and yet after receiving the ransom, failed to release him till date.

After the matter was adjourned, the accused persons on handcuff were kept outside the court hall while other criminal cases were handled, after which they and others were taken together in a chartered vehicle back to Nnewi Correctional Custody by the security men on mufti.