A 56-year-old deputy director working with the Enugu State Water Cooperation, Mr. Emeka Edoh, has been arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court in Enugu over allegations bordering on false pretence with intent to defraud some Enugu residents to the sum of N150,000.
He was alleged to obtained the amount from Chinyere Ogbonna, Onyinye Ugwu and other members of the neighbourhood with the pretence to rectify their water bills.
Edoh who was arraigned before Chief Magistrate Joseph Agu on Tuesday, in the charge sheet marked MEN/240/C/2024 however pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The police also arraigned four persons and others at large over alleged illegal roadblock, intimidation, and extortion of money from Enugu residents and motorists.
The respondents include 27-year-old Onyeka Nicholas; Okechukwu Umeh, 40; Monday Udeh, 37 and 28-year-old Tochukwu Eze who are all males.
The one-count charge against the civil servant read: “That you Edoh Emeka ‘M’ on the 23rd day of April, 2024, at No 144 Banks Avenue, in Enugu North Magisterial District, did by false pretence and with intent to defraud, obtain the total sum of one hundred and fifty (150, 000) thousand naira from Chinyere Ogbonna, Onyinye Ugwu and other members of the neighbourhood with the pretence to rectify their Enugu State Water Corporation bill, which you know to be false, and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 386 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30 Vol 11, reversed Laws of Enugu State of Nigeria.”
A bail application for the Defendant made by his counsel, Barr. E.E. Ezekwe, who argued that it was a bailable offence was opposed by a Senior Legal Officer from the Office of the Attorney-General of Enugu State, Barr. Onyinye Ugwu.
Ugwu argued that the offence for which Mr. Emeka Edoh was charged was a serious one.
After hearing the arguments of both parties, Magistrate Agu granted Mr. Edoh bail in the sum of N500,000.
He is also to provide a surety, who must be a Staff of the Enugu Sate Water Corporation of Grade Level 14 or above.
The matter was thereafter adjourned to May 22, 2024 for hearing.
But, Onyeka Nicholas, Okechukwu Umeh, Monday Udeh, and Tochukwu Ezeh, who had been arraigned earlier were not as lucky, as Magistrate Agu refused their bail following their arraignment on three count charges bothering on felony, intent to intimidate and collect money from unsuspecting members of the public, and breach of peace.
Their charges read: “That you Onyeka Nicholas ‘m’, Okechukwu Umeh ‘m’, Monday Udeh ‘m’, Tochukwu Eze ‘m’ and others now at large on the 11th day of April 2024 at about 0010hours at Oshimiri Bus Stop, Akegbe Junction, Enugu, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did conspire among yourself to commit felony, to wit: Demanding with menace and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 495 (a) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II Reversed Laws of Enugu State 2004.
“That you Onyeka Nicholas ‘m’, Okechukwu Umeh ‘m’, Monday Udeh ‘m’, Tochukwu Eze ‘m’ and others now at large on the same day, time, and place in the aforementioned Magistrate District did with intent to intimidate, demand, and collect money from unsuspecting members of the public and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 371 of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II Reversed Laws of Enugu State 2004.
“That you Onyeka Nicholas ‘m’, Okechukwu Umeh ‘m’, Monday Udeh ‘m’, Tochukwu Eze ‘m’ and others now at large on the same day, time, and place in the aforementioned Magistrate District did conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause breach of peace by creating illegal roadblock and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 247 (d) of the Criminal Code, Cap 30, Vol. II Reversed Laws of Enugu State 2004.
The matter was adjourned to 16th May 2024.
Recall that Governor Peter Mbah-led administration had recently issued an order banning illegal roadblocks and revenue collection in every part of the state, warning that offenders would be made to face the full wrath of the law.
The Enugu State government had also warned that those caught sabotaging government’s effort to ensure that the people enjoy steady water supply would have the law to contend with.