Four police officers remanded for murder, torture of suspects

A Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, has remanded in the Correctional Center, four police officers who allegedly tortured Late Chima Ikwunado to death and inflicted various degrees of injuries on three others while being detained in a police cell.

It would be recalled that operatives of the Eagle-Crack, an outfit of the state police command had tortured four Ikoku motor spare parts dealers while the were in detention cell.

The police command had on the wake of this development, dismissed the police officers, Ayogu Fidelis, Rose Georgewill, Eke Chibuzor and Egbunefu Felix, for unprofessionalism.

The suspects were, however, arraigned before the Magistrate, on seven counts bordering on murder, conspiracy to commit murder and unlawful assault on the three other friends of Chima.

But, when the charges preferred against the defendants were read, the four suspects pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Chief magistrate, Promise Iruanya, who declined to grant the suspects bail remanded them in the Correctional Centre and ordered that the case file be transferred the Directorate of Public Prosecution for legal advice.

Iroanya quickly added that the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter and adjourned it till September 19th, for the legal advice.

The Magistrate explained that while the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain count one to three of the charges, count four to seven could be entertained.

Meantime, the former E-Crack Commander, Benson Adetuyi, and Inspector Sam Amadi, who were earlier mentioned in the matter were not arraigned in court.