Court declines jurisdiction on suspected killers of Jumia delivery man, adjourns case indefinitely
A chief magistrate court sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital has declined jurisdiction on the case of the three suspected killers of a Jumia agent, late Eleje Chukwuma, in the Port Harcourt and reminded them in Maximum Prison pending the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on transfer of the case file.
The Presiding Magistrate, Chief Magistrate Amadi O Amadi-Nna, said the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter due to the gravity of offence.
The suspects, Sodienye Mbatumukeke and Excell Divine Naabe, were arraigned before Chief Magistrate Amadi O Amadi-Nna, on a three count charge, with number, PMC/697C/2017, by Inspector Jonas Rufus.
He, however, stated that the suspects can seek bail at the state high Court. There was no defense counsel for the accused persons.
The third accused person, a female, Joy Eluwa, was not brought to court for arraignment.
Their count charges read in parts; “That you Sodienye Mbatumukeke ‘m’ on the 25th day of March, 2017 at No 1 Ada-Ede street, Shell Location Mgbuoba, Port Harcourt in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District did carry offensive weapon, mortar pestle to hit on the head of Ejele Chukwuma ‘m’ and robbed him of one Infinix Note 3 handset valued sixty seven thousand naira (67,000.00), one IM-10 Desktop GSM phone dual sim valued nine thousand five hundred naira (9,500.00) and one Gionee M6 phone valued one hundred and five thousand naira (N105,000.00) total value one hundred and eighty one thousand naira (N181,000.00), property of Jumia Online Shopping Company and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 1(2)(a) of the Robbery and firearms (Special Provision) Act Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
“That you Sodienye Mbatumukeke ‘m’ and Excell Divine Naabe ‘m’ on the same date and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: murder and hereby committed an offence punishable under section 324 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol II Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.
“That you Sodienye Mbatumukeke ‘m’ and Excell Divine Naabe ‘m’ on the same date and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District did murder one Eleje Chukwuma ‘m’ by hitting him on the head with a mortar pestle and subsequently suffocated him by covering his head with a polythene waste nylon bag before tying him with a cable wire which caused his death and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 319(1) of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol II Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.”
