Ifeanyi Dike: Adoption Of Final Written Address Stalled As Counsel Fails To File Written Address
Adoption of final written address in murder trial of Ifeanyi Dike and two other accused could not go on as planned on Wednesday due to the failure of first defendant’s counsel to file final written address.
Lezina Amegua was not in court on Wednesday, and had not filed his final written address to enable the court fix date for judgement in the murder trial.
Presiding judge of the Port-Harcourt High Court, Justice Adolphus Enebeli, adjourned the case to 20 February for the adoption of final written addresses. Earlier he ordered first defendant’s counsel to file and serve his final written address within seven days.
Legal representatives would use final written address as final legal argument on the case.
The accused in the case: Ifeanyi Dike, Ugochukwu Nwamiro and Sgt Johnbosco Okoroeze (since dismissed) were brought to court handcuffed on Wednesday and the handcuffs were only removed as their case was mentioned.
First, second and the third accused are facing prosecution for the alleged murder of an eight-year-old- girl, Chikamso Victory Nmezuwuba, on 18 August,2017 in Eliozu in Port-Harcourt.
The first accused Ifeanyi Dike, prosecuted for the murder, was said to have killed and removed body parts of Victory Nmezuwuba and was on way to disposing of the body of the eight-year- old girl when he was arrested by police.
The second accused, Ugochukwu Nwamiro, is prosecuted for allegedly asking first defendant to get body parts of the victim while the third defendant Sgt Johnbosco Okoroeze is being prosecuted for allegedly helping the first defendant to escape as he was taking him to cell at the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) in Port-Harcourt and was dismissed from Nigeria Police Force.
At Wednesday’s sitting, Justice Enebeli had said final written address should be filed so the case could conclude.
In court for the hearing was Chidi Ekeh for the prosecution, Barrister Queeneth Wokoro for second defendant and C.N.Bekwe for the third defendant including also parents of the murdered girl, who had demanded justice in an interview with the press.
