By Onwukwe Ezeru, Abia
The Permanent Secretary and Solicitor-General, Abia State Ministry of Justice, Mr. Okezie Enyinnaya, has said that his ministry was yet to receive any information or the case file of the 76 people of Awgu in Enugu State, who are being detained at the Federal Prison, Afara, Umuahia, Abia State.
It could be recalled that the suspects were remanded in Federal Prisons, Afara in Umuahia by an Umuahia Magistrate’s court, which declined jurisdiction over the matter.
They were arrested and charged for arson and illegal possession of firearms after a clash between Ugwuneshi Autonomous Community in Awgu Local Government Area of Enugu and Fulani herdsmen.
The suspects were said to have been arrested by military personnel at Lokpanta in Umunneochi council of Abia and conveyed in hired trucks to Umuahia and handed over to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which reportedly arraigned them.
On the issue, Enyinnaya told NAN that “we have not received the case file from the police.
“When we get the case file, we will look at the offence levelled against them and ascertain whether they should be prosecuted based on the allegations.
“For now, the police have not complied with the directive of the magistrate’s court but it is not late yet,” he said.
According to him, the case file must go through due process before it would get to the ministry.
He however expressed concern that a clash between a community in Enugu and Fulani herdsmen could be brought to Abia judiciary rather than Enugu.
Meanwhile, the Public Relations Officer of the 14 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Ohafia, Major Sydney Mbaneme, has dissociated the army from the matter.
Mbaneme told newsmen on phone that the people that arrested the suspects “were fake army,” saying that the army was not aware of the reported arrest.