- Defendant forced to pay One Hundred and Twenty-Five Thousand Naira in Cash for Bail — Lawyer
For refusing to marry him, an Assistant Superintendent of Police based in Abuja Prince Akhindenor has filed charges against a young POS Operator, Miss Gloria Benjamin, at the Chief Magistrate Court “Upper” of Nasarawa State at Ado New Karu Nasarawa State.
In move that appears to be connivance with the Magistrate Court officials, ASP Akhindenor not only filed a direct Criminal Complaint against the young lady for refusing to marry him but accused her of Fraud, cheating, criminal breach of trust and criminal intimidation.
According to the Court documents obtained by Lawblogng.com, the complaint was filed on the 16th of November 2023 by the Assistant Inspector of Police. In the Complaint, the ASP stated that he lent Miss Benjamin some money in the hope that she will marry him. He also stated that he bought her a piece of furniture and a sewing machine in his attempt to convince her to marry him. The ASP also claimed that Miss Benjamin insulted her when he requested his gifts and money back leaving him no choice but to charge the young girl to court.
Narrating her ordeal to Lawblogng.com in tears, the defendant Miss Gloria Benjamin told Lawblogng.com that she was in her Shop on Thursday 16th of November 2023 near Muhamadu Buhari International Market Nasarawa, when court officials came with a police officer and a lawyer, Barrister Titus Ekpo to arrest her. They informed her that the court has summoned her immediately and she must follow them to court.
According to her, she pleaded with them to allow her call her relations to notify them of her whereabouts but they refused and insisted that she must follow them immediately to court. According to her, when they arrived at the court, they informed her that she is standing trial for crimes she committed against ASP Akhindenor and gave her a copy of the charge.
She tried to explain to them that she did not do anything wrong to the ASP but nobody listened to her. When she requested that they allow her to get a lawyer to help her, they informed her that she can only get a lawyer in the court premises. According to Miss Benjamin, the only Lawyer in court at that time was Barrister Titus Ekpo who was representing the complainant, ASP Akhindenor.
The Registrar of the Court, Mr Ahmed Doma and the Clerk, Mr Ishaku Tanko advised her to beg Barrister Ekpo for help and she did. Barrister Ekpo promised to help her even though he was the one that brought the Charge against her.
According to Miss Benjamin, even though the complainant was not around, the court officials took her to the office of the Magistrate who asked her if she is guilty of the Charges but she answered “not guilty”. The Magistrate told her that he has granted her One million Naira bail but if she cannot meet up with the bail, she will be taken to Keffi Prison.
The traumatized Miss Benjamin revealed that when the court officials brought her out of the Magistrate’s office, the Court Registrar asked her to provide the One million Naira cash for Bail but She informed the Registrar that she has no way of raising such money. The Registrar told her that he will help her if she can bring N750,000 in cash but she could not bring the money.
The Registrar later reduced the money to N500,000 and then to N300,000 and Miss Benjamin couldn’t still provide the money. The court officials informed her that she should prepare for Prison since she is not serious.
According to a female Lawyer, the arrest and trial of Miss Benjamin on the same day the complaint was filed in court is against section 117 of the Nasarawa State Law for the Administration of Criminal Justice 2019 which stipulated that a proper summons containing the exact charges against a Defendant Must be served on the Defendant and two days minimum be given to the Defendant to answer the Charges.
Credits: Lawblogng
