I Can’t Pinpoint Those Who Kidnapped Me But Ken Atsuete Was Coming To Bring Me Home When  Attacked, Says Witness

A prosecution witness told a Port-Harcourt High Court late human rights lawyer, Ken Atsuete, was on his way to bring him home when he was attacked in Aluu area on August 29, 2016.

Pastor Abah Emmanuel told the court on Thursday February 27 he was coming back from church with his wife on August 28, 2016 when they were held at gunpoint  by two men who disembarked from a bike that had been following them.

He said the two men held him and his wife at gunpoint in their car at around 8pm close to the gate of the human rights lawyer.

He said they blindfolded him and took him away while his wife shouted they should not take him away because he’s a pastor.

The prosecution witness said that they took him to a bush and beat him up severely  and said when he asked them what they wanted they asked him to pay N15million ransom.

He told them he was not having such money, he said and they asked if he was owner of the house by the gate nearby where they had taken him.

The prosecution witness told the court he was tenant of the late human rights lawyer and that the late Ken Atsuete was coming to bring him home after his release when he was attacked.

He said the boys removed his blindfold and he ran away from a second point they took him in the bush at about midnight saying that he took shelter in some persons’ home until he got a call from the late human rights lawyer.

He told the court the late human rights lawyer called his wife at around 5:30am but he got the call because he was with her phone and he had said he was coming with his wife to take him.

On their way coming, according to him, the late human rights lawyer was attacked and was in a pool of blood when he met him.

He said his wife had called that his landlord had been shot.

He said the attack took place in Aluu saying the human rights lawyer was still alive when he met him.

The prosecution witness said before he came back from a nearby police station, some persons had taken him away to hospital.

The presiding judge, Honourable Justice Boma Diepriye, adjourned the case to 11 and 14 May for cross-examination.

The accused were in court on Thursday during proceedings.

The four accused: Amadi Nathaniel Akokpe, Chibiko James  Okwuonu Amuzuo, Junior Aleru and Ezims Aleru are facing trial for allegedly murdering the late human rights lawyer.

A private legal practitioner, Enahoro Sam Dakare, who is prosecutor in the case on behalf of the Rivers State government said in a recent interview: “This is a matter involving death and murder of a colleague, late Kenneth Atsuete, a human rights lawyer who died in the hands of the defendants apparently”.

He said the accused are being charged for murder, kidnapping and membership of secret cult saying that the case had dragged on since 2017 when they were charged before the court.

He said the accused pleaded they were not guilty when charges were read to them.