The Enugu State Police Command has arraigned the traditional ruler of Igga Kingdom in the Uzo-Uwani Council Area of the state, Igwe Herbert Ukuta, for the alleged murder of four people, including two policemen in his community.
SaharaReporters gathered that the traditional ruler was taken to Court 1 of the Enugu North Magisterial Division on Thursday afternoon for arraignment.
He and other suspects were subsequently remanded in prison custody.
This comes after SaharaReporters reported how police personnel at the State Criminal Investigation Department reportedly demanded N1.5 million from his family before the traditional ruler would be released.
A police source told SaharaReporters that the police filed terrorism and land-grabbing charges against the traditional ruler and other suspects.
They were accused of killing four people in their community.
SaharaReporters reported on Wednesday that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had queried the Enugu State Police Commissioner, Kanayo Uzuegbu, over the illegal detention of the traditional ruler for over a month without trial.
SaharaReporters had reported that the monarch was invited to the police headquarters on May 4, 2024, over a clash between some policemen reported to be on illegal duty with some land-grabbers and some gunmen at the community’s farm settlement.
During the clash, which took place on May 3, two policemen, a local security agent and one other person were killed.
Following the tragedy, the police and Nigerian Army mobilised and launched a reprisal.
They reportedly burnt no fewer than 23 residential buildings, over 30 motorcycles, and about 15 vehicles while people’s belongings worth millions of naira were allegedly looted by the security personnel.
The traditional ruler was subsequently detained after he honoured the invitation allegedly on the orders of the state governor, Mr Peter Mbah.
Since May 4, the traditional ruler has been in the custody of the police at the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Enugu.
SaharaReporters, however, reported on June 3, that the CP Uzuegbu-led Enugu State Command reportedly demanded a “refund of N1.5million used to feed” the detained traditional ruler before he could be released after the governor had directed that he should allowed to go home.
A family source told SaharaReporters that Governor Mbah had directed the police to release the monarch for over a week now but the police refused.
A security source told SaharaReporters that Uzuegbu was rattled by the report of the N1.5 million demand for the release of the monarch and vowed to charge him.
The source said, “As we speak the traditional ruler is currently at the Court 1 of the Enugu North Magisterial District for arraignment for murder. You know he is arraigning them at the Magistrate Court because he knows the court has no jurisdiction over murder charges. So the court will only remand the suspects in prison and order the transfer of their case files to the Director of Public Prosecutions for advice. The commissioner wants him to be remanded in prison custody because he refused to pay the N1.5 million demanded.”
“Certainly, the court will remand him in prison custody and because of the system of the Enugu State criminal justice, no matter how innocent he is, he will not come out in three months. So it is payback time for the family because they brought the media come into the case,” the source said
A family member also confirmed to SaharaReporters that the monarch had been taken to court.
“It is better for us to go to court,” the family source said.