Onoja Kingsley, age 20, was charged by the police on Tuesday in a Wuse Zone II Magistrates’ Court for allegedly making false claims that his genitalia had “disappeared”.
Kingsley, who has no established address, is accused of committing a joint act, causing great bodily harm, attempting culpable homicide, stealing, and disseminating false information to the public.
He did, however, enter a plea of not guilty to the charges that the police had leveled against him.
E.A. Inegbenoise, the prosecuting attorney, informed the court that Ndifreke Ebong of Gaduwa Estate in Abuja reported the case on October 7.
Inegbenoise said that the complainant was passing out fliers for his church’s Sunday service in the FCT while accompanied by a few of his church’s members.
He claimed that at around 6:30 p.m., the complainant gave the defendant and other members of his gang who are currently on the run a copy of the flyer inadvertently.
“The defendant then unlawfully and falsely accused the complaint of stealing his manhood.
“The complainant was beaten and stabbed with all kinds of dangerous weapons by members of the defendant’s gang which they later ran away and he was apprehended.
“As a result of the beating, the complainant sustained some degree of injuries, ” he said.
The prosecutor added that the complainant’s mobile phone valued at N500,000 and wallet containing important documents were stolen from him during the incident.
He further stated that the defendant revealed at the police station during interrogation that the alleged “disappeared manhood is back and performing normal.”
According to him, the offences he is charged with contravened the provision of sections 80, 248, 229, 287 and 178 of the Penal Code.
The prosecutor also objected to the bail of the defendant stating that the defendant has no traceable address.
He added that granting him bail would affect further police investigation and the arrest of his other members who were still at large.
But the magistrate, Abba Bello, said “bail is at the discretion of the court and shall be exercised judiciously.”
The Magistrate admitted the defendant to bail in the sum of N1 million with a surety in like sum, who must reside within the jurisdiction of the court.
He ordered that the surety addresses be verified by both the prosecutor and court’s registrar before he should be released.
The case was adjourned until Nov. 20 for hearing. (NAN)