A chief magistrates’ court in Makurdi has remanded the man who allegedly attempted to kill the Benue Commissioner for Power and Transport, Omale Omale, at a correctional centre on Thursday.

The defendant, Justine Yongu, 32, who lives behind Mobile Barracks in Makurdi, was charged with criminal conspiracy, assault, occasioning harm, attempted culpable homicide and acts of terrorism.

The chief magistrate, Kelvin Mbanongun, adjourned the case until March 27 for further mention.

The prosecutor, Insp. Jonah Uletu told the court that the defendant committed the offences on January 1 at Daudu, the venue of the primaries for the Guma State Constituency’s by-election.

Mr Uletu said the State CID, Makurdi, received a distress call from the chief security officer (CSO) of Government House, CSP Bernard Adaka, that some hoodlums, armed with dangerous weapons and led by Mr Yongu, had invaded the venue of the primaries.

According to him, Mr Adaka informed the police that the hoodlums mercilessly beat up Mr Omale and inflicted various degrees of injuries on him, causing him to collapse on the spot.

The prosecutor said that following the information, men of Operation Zenda Joint Task Force, led by ASP Isah Yusuf, swiftly moved to the scene and arrested Mr Yongu, while others fled into a nearby bush.

Mr Uletu said it was discovered during the police investigation that Mr Yongu and his gang were notorious hoodlums, armed robbers and violent political thugs terrorising the people of Daudu and motorists on Makurdi-Lafia road.

He said their criminal antecedents had caused untold hardships to the inhabitants of Guma, Makurdi and the state.

Mr Uletu said the offences contravened sections 97, 266, and 230 of the Penal Code of Benue 2004.

He said the offences also contravened section 4(2) of the abduction, hostage taking, kidnapping, secret cult and similar activities prohibition law of Benue, 2017. 

(NAN)