ENUGU – The police in Enugu on Thursday brought a 34-year-old Donatus Ilechukwu of Enugu North Local Government Area before an Enugu Magistrates’ Court charged with assault and stealing.
The accused, who pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge, was arrested for allegedly beating and stealing from one Emeka Alagba.
The prosecutor, Mr Kwe-kwe Ajor, said the matter was reported to the Central Police Station, Enugu on March 3.
He said the offence was punishable under the Criminal Code Cap 30 Vol. II Law of Enugu State of Nigeria 2004.
In his evidence, the complainant told the court that Ilechukwu brought some people to beat him up.
“The accused brought some people to beat me up following my refusal to stop parking my tricycle where I used to park it.
“The way they slapped me did not allow me to know how many they were in number.
“The beating was severe, which made me to spend so much money in treating myself in the hospital,’’ he said.
Alagba said the money he came home with on the day of the incident totaling N44,000 was collected from him by the accused and his gang in the course of the beating.
The counsel to the accused, Mr D. Eze, objected to the complainant’s written report, saying it was against the law for the complainant to be testifying and at the same tendering the report made by him at the police station.
The Magistrate, Mrs Victoria Okoye, overruled the objection because the argument of the counsel to the accused was not relevant to the Act and there was no reason why the report should not be tendered.
She adjourned the case to July 15 for continuation of hearing. (NAN)
