The Nigeria Police Force, on Friday, accused Ms. Precious Chikwendu, the estranged wife of a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, of threatening the lives of witnesses lined up in the alleged attempted murder case against her.
The offence, listed as count 14 in the new amended charge, was alleged to have been committed by Chikwendu and Emmanuel Anakan, a co-defendant, on Wednesday, within the premises of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
They were alleged to have “criminally threatened the lives of Bako Maina, Isah Kudaru and other witnesses in the case to eliminate them by death if they insist in testifying in the case.”
The offence was said to be punishable under Section 397 of the Penal Code.
The second defendant, Chikwendu, and three others were to be re-arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo on 14 counts.
Other defendants in the trial included Anakan, Prisca Chikwendu and Osakwe Azubuike as first, third and fourth defendants respectively, while others were said to be at large.
The four defendants were earlier arraigned before the court on February 14 on 13 counts and Justice Ekwo fixed April 27, 28 and 29 for trial commencement.
But in an amended charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/01/2022 dated and filed by John Ijagbemi on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, the Federal Capital Territory Command on April 28, the ex-wife was also being charged on allegations bordering on attempted murder of her former husband and children.
She was alleged to have carried two kitchen knives threatening to kill Fani-Kayode, the children and other occupants of the house at Asokoro on November 24 2018, within the court jurisdiction.
The offence was said to be punishable under Section 229 of the Penal Code.
She was also accused of making false allegations on November 24, 2018, with doctored pictures with the intent to deceive members of the public and make them believe that the injuries in the pictures were inflicted on her by her ex-husband.
Besides, Chikwendu was alleged to have “criminally uploaded doctored/photoshopped pictures” of her biological child, Liam Femi Fani-Kayode, who was four years old, in order to deceive members of the public that the child sustained injury on his forehead.
According to the charge, the offence is punishable under Section 24 (1) (b) of the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention Etc) Act 2015.
The defendants were further alleged to have committed offences bordering on cybercrime, intimidation to kill the former minister by use of the Internet, through which they said he did not deserve to live.
They were also alleged to have criminally used the Internet to send abusive messages with intent to bully, defame and harass her ex-husband.
They were alleged to have fabricated false evidence by deposing to series of affidavits that Fani-Kayode physically and sexually assaulted members of his domestics staff in inhuman conduct by causing same to be electronically published in a national daily.
Chikwendu was also alleged to have, through her Facebook page, referred to Fani-Kayode as “Mr Short Fuse,” on Dec. 7, 2021, among others.
The matter was, however, stalled as the Judge directed that the re-arraignment be rescheduled.
The case was fixed for June 29 for the defendants to take their plea in the fresh charge.
Though the matter came up on Wednesday for re-arraignment, the trial suffered a setback as Justice Ekwo fixed Friday for their re-arraignment.
Copyright PUNCH.
