Absence of Prosecutor Stalls Trial of Teenagers who Allegedly Stole Household Items in Imo

The absence of Police Prosecutor, Mr Oscar Mbaeri, has stalled the trial of two teenagers, who allegedly stole household items in an Owerri Family Court on Thursday.

The teenagers, Chiagorom Chidera, 18 and Samuel Madu, 16 were standing trial for allegedly breaking into the home of a 79-year-old Godfrey Amadi, stealing his household items, contravening section 287 of the Penal Code.

Defence Counsel, Mr Gregory Okemili, told the Court that the absence of the Prosecutor was ‘unfortunate’ and should not be allowed to be used as an excuse to prolong the teenagers’ stay in police custody.

Okemili further begged the Court to grant the accused persons bail as one of them, Madu was a minor and had remained in police custody since his arrest on March 1, 2019.

Amadi who resides at and hails from Ulakwo, Owerri North local government area of Imo State, had earlier told the Court that Mbaeri had called him on phone at about 10 pm on Wednesday to inform him that he had an accident and could not make it to the Court on Thursday.

Also, he said that the owner of the house where the alleged stolen items were found by the Police and documented as exhibits was at large alongside four other suspects.

But the Magistrate, Mrs A. O. Odionyenma, pointed out that the continued detention of Madu without any case established against him could constitute an abuse of human right.

“We do not want any child to be abused in any way. His continued detention without an established case against him is an abuse in itself”.
Odionyenma further ordered that Madu should be released from Police Custody since he was a minor while ordering his mother, Mrs Pauline Chiagorom and Okemili to produce him in Court on the adjourned date.

The Court adjourned the matter until August 1, 2019 for further hearing.

…NAN