Court remands 3 brothers for alleged arson

A Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday ordered that three brothers, Ignatius Agera, Joseph Agera and Agema Agera, be remanded in a correction centre for allegedly conspiring and setting their brother, Igbaakura Agera’s house on fire.

The brothers, who live Behind St. Leo the Great Parish, Ikpa Mbatyerev in Gboko Local Government Area of Benue, are charged with criminal conspiracy and mischief by fire.

However, Magistrate Roseline Iyorshe did not take their plea for want in jurisdiction.
Iyorshe adjourned the matter until Jan. 17, 2023 for further mention.

Earlier, the Prosecution Counsel, Insp. Godwin Ato, told the court that the case was transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters, Gboko, to the State CID, Makurdi on Nov. 9, 2022 via a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Police, Benue Command.

Ato said that on Nov. 4, 2022, Igbaakura had reported at the ‘A’ Division Police Station, Gboko, that on the night of Nov. 3, while he was sleeping with his family in their room, the defendants who are his brothers set his round thatched house on fire.

The complainant stated that he lost property worth N448, 800 and a cash sum of N300,000 in the fire.

The prosecutor said that the defendants were arrested during police investigation for committing the offence.

The offence, Ato said, contravenes the provisions of sections 97 and 338 of the Penal Code Laws of Benue, 2004.