An Ebonyi Magistrate’s Court sitting in Abakaliki, the state capital, on Wednesday remanded four defendants for their alleged involvement in the attack on the acting area commander of the Ohaukwu police command and snatching rifles of police constables in the community.

The suspects, Okochukwu Onwe, 23; Onyedikachi Onwe, 22; Chinonso Agbo, 25; and Alieze Uchenna, 33, allegedly snatched two rifles.

They were later arrested by police operatives in conjunction with vigilante members and had long been cooling off at the headquarters of the Ebonyi State Police Command, Abakaliki, until their arraignment on Wednesday.

A community source told PUNCH Metro that the attack happened after a security meeting at the Ohaukwu council headquarters, Ezzamgbo.

“The hoodlums disguised as if they wanted to make a complaint to the area commander and used the opportunity to gain access to him. They attacked him, collected his gun and fled the scene,” he added.

The police had claimed that the suspects were members of the Indigenous People of Biafra.

The suspects were arraigned on Wednesday on five counts of armed robbery, felony and attempt to commit murder.

The police prosecutor, Inspector Chinedu Mbam, told the court that the offences were punishable under sections 516A (a); 320 (a); 402 of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2010.

Their defense counsel, F.M. Nwebo, applied to the court to grant them bail.

But Mbam opposed the application on the grounds that the victims’ were still laying critically ill at the hospital.

The Chief Magistrate, Mrs B.I. Chukwu, said that the court lacked the jurisdiction to adjudicate on the matter and directed that the suspects be remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre, Abakaliki, and their case file forwarded to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions for necessary decision.

Source:- Punch ng