EX- HONG LGC BOSS DRAGS 59 TO COURT FOR BURNING #137 MILLION HOUSE, FARMLAND

Erstwhile Chairman of Hong Local Government Council in Adamawa state, Hon. Eric B. Theman on Thursday dragged no fewer than 59 people to Upper Area Court I Yola over alleged burning of household and destruction economic trees worth #137.4 million.

Already, 5 out of 59 suspects have been remanded at Yolde Pate Correctional Centre as ordered by  Honourable Muhammed Buba led Area Court, just as other suspects are expected to be arraigned before  the court as soon as they are arrested by the police.

The suspects were alleged to have on 3rd May, 2020 burnt 1 house of the complainant to ashes, carted away #1.930 million and other valuables.

They were also said to have damaged 1 car, burnt 3 motorcycles, cut down 145 mango trees with fruits, 1000 moringa trees, 13 date palms, guavas, 29 German umbrella trees in his farmland at Garari village, Kulinyi District in Hong LGA.

The suspects were charged to court for criminal conspiracy, trespass, criminal intimidation and mischief by fire contrary to sections 60, 333, 628, 328 of the State Penal Code Law, 2018.

Meanwhile, the former Chairman has petitioned President Muhammad Buhari, Inspector General of Police, Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri and the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Commissioner of Police, Director State Security Service(SSS), and several others, alleging threat to his life and that of his family members. 

The MRDD Governorship Candidate in the 2019 general elections alleged that some of the suspects threatening his life were armed robbers in Lagos, Benin City and within their localities who came back and settled in Garari village.

He told President Buhari and Governor Fintiri that the 59 suspects have been holding series of meetings in the village on how to attack innocent citizens, saying that the people have been accusing the inhabitants of the community as witches and wizards, attacking, beating and throwing stones on the roof of houses.

According to him, some of them sell prohibited drugs, weeds and suck and die and threatening fire and brimstone on the hapless citizens, saying failure to arrest them will trigger war or communal clash as innocent people may team up for retaliation.

Hon. Eric Theman appealed to the Commissioner of Police to reopen Garari Police station so as to help in curtailing such threats, saying that the 59 people should be held responsible if anything happens to him or his family members.