Court remands re-arrested suspected ritualist in prison

A Chief Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, has ordered the remand in Prisons of one Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike, for allegedly killing an 8-year-old girl, Chikamso Nmezuwuba, in the state.

The court has also adjourned the case indefinitely.

Dike, 24, was arraigned, on Tuesday, by the State Commissioner of Police, Zaki Ahmed, on one count-charge of killing.


The accused person was brought to Court in a white bus, with plate number FG 128 F50. There was tight security in and around the court.

He was said to have committed the crime on August 18, 2017, at No. 8 Messiah Close, Eliozu, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of the state.

When the case, on Charge No.: PMC/1897c/2017, was mentioned, the trial Chief Magistrate, Andrew Amadi-Nna, said the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain them matter because the offence committed required capital punishment.

The charge was not read and no plea taken by the accused.

The count read: “That you, Ifeanyichukwu Maxwell Dike, on August 18, 2017, at No. 8 Messaih Close, Eliozu, Port Harcourt, in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District, did kill one Chikamso Nmezuwuba (female), aged eight years, by administering stupefying substance on her in order to obtain her sensory organs, which include: tongue, ear, eyes, nipple, clitoris, nose, fingers with the use of knife, and thereby committed an offence publishable under Section 319 (1) of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Volume II, Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999”.

He said the case file should be transferred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), for legal advice.

Also, he adjourned the sine dine, while awaiting for the DPP’s report.

The accused person was paraded after his re-arrest, on Friday, September 8, by policemen in Jos, Plateau State.

He was declared wanted by the State Police Command for escaping from the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), less than an hour after writing his confessional statement on Saturday, August 19.

He fled to Jos, where he committed another crime and was apprehended by the police.