From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
The police Corporal, who allegedly shot and killed a businessman at a police checkpoint in Aba, Abia State last April, has been remanded at the Aba Correctional Centre.
Dismissed police Corporal Henry Njok was remanded, yesterday, by Justice Thomas Adiele of Abia High Court 1, sitting in Aba, after being arraigned over the murder of the businessman.
When the case with suit No. A/23c/2024, between the State vs Ex-CPL Henry Njok, was mentioned, the state Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Ikechukwu Uwanna, announced his appearance with a team of other lawyers from the state Ministry of Justice, for the state, while Ojiakor announced his presence for the family of the deceased businessman, late Emmanuel Okocha.
However, the ex-police officer, while in the dock, told the presiding judge that his lawyer was on the way. The Attorney-General of the state pleaded with the trial judge to step down the case to enable the lawyer of the defendant to get to the court. The request was granted and after about two hours when the matter was called up again, the lawyer to the defendant was still not in court.
When the judge sought to know why the lawyer was yet to put up an appearance in court, the mother of the defendant told the court that the lawyer went to another court for another matter.
With this information, the Attorney-General of the state appealed to the trial judge for the defendant to be remanded at the Aba Correctional Centre for convenience and sought for another date to enable the defendant and his family secure the service of a lawyer(s) at the next adjourned date.
The judge, acceding to the Attorney General’s request, adjourned the matter to July 3. Before then, the judge reminded the defendant and his family of the options available to them to secure the services of a lawyer ahead of the next adjourned date when he will be expected to take his plea.
The Attorney General told journalists afterwards that the business of the day was for the defendant to take his plea, but could not do that because no lawyer represented him in court.
He said if, at the next adjourned date, no lawyer represented the defendant, section 348 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Abia State will come to play, by the court making an order to give him a lawyer of the court’s choice to represent him or get the legal aid council to give a lawyer to represent him.