The crisis between Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and family members of the late Prince Abubakar Audu has deepened.
On Thursday, the state police command arraigned Mohammed Audu, son of the former governor of the state, for robbery and attempted culpable homicide at a Lokoja Magistrates’ Court.
Mohammed was arrested on Wednesday night when he honoured police invitation at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad at the Police Headquarters in Lokoja.
He was arrested with about 15 family members for waging a verbal war against Bello and for acts constituting a breach of peace in the North-Central state.
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.
The prosecuting police officer, Mr Gabriel Otowu, told the court that Mohammed allegedly committed the offences against his uncle, Prince Yahaya Audu, on August 30, in the family house at Ogbonicha, Ofu Local Government Area.
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 that in the First Information Report (FIR) Yahaya alleged that hoodlums armed with guns, cutlasses and axe criminally conspired and invaded his compound pretending to be visitors.
He alleged that Yahaya ignorantly welcomed the people, who asked him to give them “something no matter how small”.
The prosecutor said that 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 that the suspects inflicted injuries on the complainant and shot sporadically into the air.
Otowu said that 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 that they broke the windscreen of his jeep and made away with his Samsung handset.
The prosecutor further said that the complainant and Imman sustained bullet wounds and were later rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Lokoja, for treatment.
He said that prior to the attack, the accused had threatened to deal with Yahaya.
In his submission, Okechukwu Ayewu, leading seven other lawyers for the accused, urged the court to grant his client bail in line with the constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code.
Otowu, however, did not object to the bail application but urged the court to use its discretion.
The Magistrate, Mr Alhassan Husaini, in his ruling, said: “Though I find on the face of the originating process (FIR) a barrage of allegations, it appears that both counsel are on the same page.
“Accordingly, the accused person herein is admitted to bail in the sum of N100, 000 with a surety in like sum,” he said and adjourned the matter to September 29 for further mention.
