63-Year-Old Lawyer Arraigned For Alleged Kidnapping, Attempted Murder

A 63-year-old lawyer, Mr. Vincent Ogbungbada,
was on Thursday arraigned before a High Court
sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, for
alleged kidnapping and attempted murder.
Ogbungbada was accused of kidnapping one Mr.
Fortune Ogbungbada, who was held hostage for
four days with the aim of demanding for ransom.
The suspect was also accused of attempting to kill
one Agnes Ogbungbada by shooting her with a
gun.
When the charges were read to the suspect, he
pleaded not guilty to all of them.
The charges read, “That you, Vincent E.
Ogbungbada, ‘M’, with others now at large,
sometimes between the month of October 2016-
January 2017 at Rumuologu, Port Harcourt within
the Port Harcourt Judicial Division, did conspire
amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit:
kidnapping and attempted murder, and thereby
committed an offence punishable under Section
516 of the Criminal Code Act Cap C 38 Law of the
Federation 2004.
“That you, Vincent E. Ogbungbada ‘M’, with others
at large on the same date and place, in the
aforesaid Judicial Division, did kidnap one Mr.
Fortune Ogbungbada and kept him for four days in
your custody with an intent to demand for ransom,
and thereby committed an offence punishable
under Section 1 (1) of the Rivers State Kidnap
(Prohibition) Amendment Law No. 5 of 2015.
“That you, Vincent E. Ogbungbada ‘M’, with others
now at large, on the same date and place, in the
aforesaid Judicial Division, did attempt to
unlawfully kill one Agnes Fortune Ogbungbada by
shooting her with a gun, and thereby committed
an offence punishable under Section 320 of the
Criminal Code Act Cap C 38 Laws of the Federation
2004.”
Having pleaded not guilty to all the counts, the
prosecution counsel, Mr. Essien Edet and counsel
for the accused, Mr. D.I. Akwakpam, argued on a
date to be fixed for Vincent’s bail application.
The presiding judge, Justice Margaret Opara,
however, adjourned the matter till Tuesday, July 4,
2017 for bail application and hearing.
Justice Opara ordered that the accused be
remanded in police custody pending the
resumption of hearing on Tuesday.
It will be recalled Vincent, who is a relative to the
paramount ruler of Rumualogu, His Royal Highness
Eze Ignatius Ogbungbada, was arrested after the
abduction of the monarch’s son.
Fortune Ogbungbada, who is the son of the
traditional ruler, was kidnapped on January 22,
2017 within a church premises in Rumualogu,
Obio/Akpor LGA of Rivers State.
It was also within the same period that the
monarch’s daughter-in-law (Agnes) who was
carrying a six-month-old baby was shot in the
mouth and right hand.
The police, after their investigation, decided to
arrest and arraign the monarch’s half-brother,
Vincent Ogbungbada in connection with the crime.