Court fixes Jan. 25 for ruling in alleged criminal intimidation suit against clergyman, 2 others

A Grade I Area Court in Kubwa on Monday fixed Jan. 25, for ruling in a case of alleged criminal intimidation filed against a clergyman, Paul Egohie, Mike Moko and Mike Eneche.

The judge, Muhammad Adamu fixed the date after the defence counsel, Moses Ugwummadu objected for the direct criminal complaint to be mentioned on the grounds of abuse of court process.

Ugwummadu said the matter was brought before the court and struck out sometime in Sept. 15, 2020 on the grounds that the same case, bordering on ownership of a plot of land was before another court in Mpape.

“It is unbecoming and frivolous for the said matter to come up again in a different form, I urge the court to strike out the matter and pray for the complainant, Ms Patience Bello to pay cost for wasting the time of the court,” Ugwummadu said.

The complainant’s counsel, Taiye Okoya cited Section 89, Subsection V of the Administration of the Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) saying the act states that a direct criminal complainant shall be referred to the police by the court, for further investigation.

Okoya said the parties in this case are different from the ones in the case of criminal trespass which was struck out on Sept. 15 adding that the fresh complaint was a matter of criminal intimidation.

He said the defence counsel did not have any document to prove abuse of court and urged the court to direct the Nigerian Police to investigate the direct criminal complain of criminal intimidation against the defendants.

The complainant, through her counsel, Okoya had filed a direct criminal complaint bordering on criminal intimidation against the defendants.

The offence contravened Section 396 of the Penal Code.
The court did not take the plea of Egohie, Moko and Eneche.