A 70-year-old man, Theophilus Wokoma, his wife Comfort Wokoma, 51years and their son, Chimenem Westton Wokoma, 33, are standing trial for invocation of juju before a presiding Chief Magistrate, E.C. Woke, on charge No. PMC/1337C/20l2.
On count one, the said accused persons were said to have, on the 5th day of March, 2012, at No. 3 Igbokwu Layout, behind Total Filling Station, Aba Road, Port Harcourt, in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District, did conspire among themselves to commit felony, to wit: misdemeanor, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516(1)(A) of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. II, Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999.
On count two, the accused person, Comfort Wokoma, on the 5th day of March, 2012 at No. 3 Igbokwu Layout behind Total Filling Station, Aba Road, Port Harcourt, in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District, did invoke Amadioha Amadi Nwagbo Juju in Umuokohia Akwukabi Etche to harm or kill his HRH, Eze (Sir) Simeon C. Wokoma (IP) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 210(d) of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. II Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.
On count three, the accused person, Westton Wokoma, on the same date and place in the aforesaid magisterial district did invoke a harmful juju namely, Amadioha Juju of Etche Oturkpo Juju and Calabar Juju to kill HRM, Eze (Sir) Simeon Wokoma (JP) and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 207 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. II Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999.
Count four stated that the said accused person, Comfort Wokoma, also in the same place and date in the aforesaid magisterial district, conducted herself “in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace by giving some amount of money to Wokoma Westton Chimenem Ezebunwo Smith to enable them take the juju priest messenger to deliver the summon to his HRH, Eze Simeon C. Wokoma at No. 3 lgbokwu behind Total Filling Station, Aba Road, Port Harcourt, and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 249 of the Criminal Code Cap 37 Vol. II Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria 1999.”
After reading the charges against the accused persons, one of the accused person, Comfort Wokoma, pleaded that the court should grant them grace that they ‘will go to the complainant for settlement.”
The magistrate said there was the need for people to make peace as it would also help to decongest the court and granted the accused persons bail with the sum of N500,000, one surety who must be a civil servant on grade level 12 and above, two passport photographs and must have three years’ tax clearance from the Rivers State Government. The case was adjourned to September 13, 2012, for hearing. ###
Samuel Chinda
