Three farmers, Kofi James, Kofi Kenneth and Aondona Uzer, were on Monday in Makurdi remanded at the correctional service centre, over alleged robbery and an attempt to kill a businessman.

The Chief Magistrate, Vincent Kor who did not take the plea of the defendants from Aliade, Gwer-East Local Government Area of Benue, ordered that they be remanded in prison custody.

Kor adjourned the matter till Nov. 2, 2021, for further mention.

The defendants were charged with criminal conspiracy, armed robbery, attempted culpable homicide and mischief.

According to the Prosecution counsel, Sgt. Jonah Uleru, the offences contravened Sections 6(b) and 1(I) (2) (a)(b) of the Robbery and Firearms Act, 2004 and 329 of the Penal Code Law of Benue, 2004.

Earlier, Uleru told the court that on Sept. 8, a petition was written by one Suleyol Nkaaga of No. 13, Gbojile St., Aliade, was received at the Police CIID, Makurdi, on the same date.

He said that the complainant, in the petition alleged that sometime in August, she bought 96 bags of oranges in a bush in Aĺiade valued at N369,600 and loaded them in a lorry.

The prosecutor said on getting to the main road, immediately after the Aliade General Hospital, some young men not fewer than 10, blocked the road with logs of wood.

He said that the young men demanded the sum of N20,000 from the complainant before the lorry could pass.

Uleru said the complainant and her husband, Simon, pleaded with the men to accept N2,500 and allow them to pass, but they refused.

According to him, one of the men, Amoo Zafefa, picked a knife and stabbed the complainant’s husband on the stomach.

The prosecutor said that after the stabbing, Zafefa forcefully collected his victim’s bag containing N100,000, unloaded all the oranges and destroyed them.

The prosecutor said the defendants were arrested during police investigation while Zafefa and six others were still at large.

TodayNG