Tina Amanda
A Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt has given the Abuloma Police Division twenty-one (21) days to conclude investigation into a criminal case against the Principal of Community Secondary School Okuru Ama, in Port Harcourt local government area, Pastor Sylvanus Toby.
Pastor Sylvanus Toby is standing trial on a two-count charge of conspiracy and criminality.
According to the charge, Sylvanus Toby is alleged to have hired the Community Development Chairman (CDC) SIYEOFORI GODSPOWER and others now at large, to beat up a female teacher of the said school, Blessing Oba, for complaining about the West Africa Examination Council fees been collected by the Principal after the state government had reportedly paid for all the candidates for the examination.
The Defendants were alleged to have also threatened to kill the Claimant, collected her Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) Card and Mobile Phone with the sum of eight-two thousand naira as well as her leather pouch valued at five thousand naira.
During the court proceeding, Counsel to the second Defendant N. Joshua, complained that the matter was reported so much in the media, pleading with the court to discourage media from reporting the issue until the matter is concluded.
Counsel to the claimant O.C Higer King, however, told the court that the case is of public interest and it would be difficult to stop the media from reporting it.
The Presiding Magistrate, Chief Magistrate Amadi Nna issued the order to the police and adjourned the case to 16 May, 2022 for mention.
In an interview with our correspondent, Claimant Counsel Higher king, said the court adjournment for Police investigation is in line with section 895 Administration of Criminal Justice Law of Rivers State, noting that the case is not a media trial, as journalist are not going into the merit of the case, but only interested in what happened in court.
