Nephew Of Former Minister Granted Bail After Murder Charge

Nkem, a nephew of a former Minister of Interior, Capt. Emmanuel Ihenacho (retd.), who allegedly killed his live-in lover, Regina James, has been granted bail.

PUNCH Metro had last Thursday reported the alleged at 3 Calvary Street, Iyana Isasi, Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The accused was said to have killed Regina, a mother of his three children - two boys and a girl- during a fight.

The police formally charged the suspect to court on May 31, 2013.

The charge reads, "That you Ihenacho Nkem, male, on the 23rd of April, 2013, at about 2200 hours, at No. 3 Calvary Close, Mebano Shashi, Lagos, in the Lagos Magisterial District, did unlawfully kill one Regina Ihenacho, female, aged 30, by beating her to death with fist blows and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 221 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2011."

When the charge was read, the suspect pleaded not guilty, and the magistrate, Mr. O.O. Olatunji of Court 8, Ebute Metta, adjourned the case until June 3.

When the matter came up on Monday, June 3, the magistrate granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in like sum.

Olatunji adjourned further hearing on the matter until June 18.

However, the relations of the deceased and their counsel, Mr. Silas Udoh, said they were not satisfied with the granting of bail to the accused.

Udoh said, "Section 115 (1) of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2001 is clear that anybody charged with a murder case shall not be admitted to bail except by the Judge of a High Court and not a magistrate's court.

"No matter how bad the charge is, once it is on a murder case, no magistrate anywhere has the power to take plea of the accused person, let alone admitting him to bail as it is done in this case within 48 hours of charging the accused.

"We condemn the ruling of the magistrate and call on the Attorney-General of Lagos State, the Chief Judge and the National Judicial Council and the Chief Justice of Nigeria to investigate this matter.

"We urge the relevant authorities to intervene in the interest of justice."


Source: Punch Metro