TheCable

The police in Kogi on Thursday arraigned Mohammed Audu, son of Abubakar Audu, former governor of the state, for robbery and attempted culpable homicide.

He was arraigned at a Lokoja magistrates’ court.

Mohammed was arrested after honouring police invitation at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) at the police headquarters in Lokoja, on Wednesday night.

The prosecution charged the accused with criminal conspiracy, causing grievous hurt, mischief, armed robbery and attempted culpable homicide, contrary to sections 97(1), 248, 327, 298 and 229 of the penal code.

Gabriel Otowu, prosecuting police officer, told the court that Mohammed allegedly committed the offences against his uncle, Yahaya Audu, on August 30, in the family house at Ogbonicha, Ofu local government area of the state.

Otowu told the court that Yahaya and one Ibrahim Immam were in his family compound at Ogbonicha for the eighth day prayer of Dauda Audu when the alleged offence took place.

He said in the First Information Report (FIR), Yahaya alleged that hoodlums pretending to be visitors armed with guns, cutlasses and axe criminally conspired and invaded his compound.

He alleged that Yahaya ignorantly welcomed the people, who asked him to give them “something no matter how small”.

The prosecutor said as the complainant walked toward his vehicle to give them money, the people attacked him from behind with a machete and “thoroughly” beat him up.

He said the suspects inflicted injuries on the complainant and shot sporadically into the air.

Otowu said the complainant fell to the ground and pretended to be dead, and the hoodlums attempted to carry him before he ran into the bush and escaped.

He also said they broke the windscreen of his jeep and made away with his Samsung handset.