Unionists in court over mischief
The police Thursday arraigned Felix Nweze, Igwenma Alex and Anthony Okika (all members of Utako Market Traders Association Abuja) before an Abuja Magistrate Court for alleged joint acts, criminal intimidations, inciting public disturbances and mischievous acts, offences contrary to Sections 79, 397, 114 and 327 of the Penal Code.
Police prosecutor, Abdullahi Alhassan, told the court that on December 1, one Ibrahim Dauda Abubakar of Abuja Municipal Area Council reported at Utako Police Station that the union leaders formed common intentions to incite public disturbances.
He further informed the court that the accused persons incited Utako Market shop owners to defy AMAC’s sanitation restriction order as well as used iron cutters to break padlocks on the market gates.
The prosecutor stated further that the accused persons disallowed AMAC officials from collecting levies in the market.
When the charges were read to the accused persons, they pleaded not guilty and their counsel, Barrister Chuks Sylvan us requested for their bails, a request not objected to by the prosecutor.
Chief Magistrate Oyebola O. O. Oyewumi granted each of the accused persons bail in the sum of N150,000 with two sureties, of which one must be a federal civil servant of not below grade level and must reside within the court’s jurisdiction.
Daily Trust 7th December, 2010
Page 51
BY Abdulkadir Y. Abdullahi
