An Enugu Magistrate Court has remanded one Mr Christian Okolo in prison custody for trespassing into the Gateway Layout Ibagwa Nike Enugu.
Mr. Okolo is equally accused of leading a group of miscreants to attack members of the GATEWAY Layout Enugu Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd who are the landlords with their government allocations and Statutory Building Certificate of Occupancies.
The landlords were reportedly attacked when they were re-establishing the road networks (over-grown with weeds) at the Gateway Layout Ibagwa, Enugu on 12th day of November 2022.
The said Mr Christian Okolo was arraigned Thursday on a 9-Count Charge at Enugu East Magisterate Court before His Worship Magistrate A.N.Ede- Anih.
He pleaded not guilty to the 9- Count Charge proffered against him by the prosecution.
Defendant’s Counsel F.N. Ozude Esq applied for bail, however based on overwhelming submissions of the prosecution it was not granted.
Factors like the fact that he his likely to jump bail, and influence investigation because other accomplices are still at large; More so, other of his Gang from Umuambanwaochu family (Onukwube Ezembaeke and Friday Edeh) who were earlier charged on same trespass to Gateway Layout Land jumped bail in a sister Charge No. CME/ 350C/ 2022 , and are yet to be re- apprehended. They are equally wanted in this charge, alongside others.
More so, the prosecution established that he is likely to commit more of the offence, as he has repeatedly done; by returning to the land to disturb the Landlords, and look for innocent unsuspecting public to defraud with the land belonging to the Cooperative.
Consequently, the court in its wisdom denied bail, and adjourned to 21st day of March, 2023 for consideration of bail application, while all parties get ready for trial.
Members of the Gateway Layout Enugu Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd who are land lords of the Gateway layout Enugu land, where duly represented in court today, by many of them who tirelessly waited from 9.00am till 3.00pm when the case was called up and concluded.
The accused person ( MR CHIRISTIAN OKOLO) has since been moved down to Enugu Maximum Prison, old park.
Gateway layout Enugu is a Government acquired land and a well designed Layout at Ibagwa Nike Enugu.
It houses the popolar ELIM ESTATE and VIVIAN ESTATE in its frontage, along Enugu – Ugwuogo Nike Trunk A Major Road, and spans almost up to the bridge before Unity Police Station Ibagwa, and it spans also about 1km inwards.
