Court remands Law student in Enugu prison for robbery, cultism

By NGOZI UWUJARE

Students of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, UNEC, can now heave a sigh of relief as the Enugu State Police Command has shown its determination to diligently prosecute 25-year-old Akaata Simon, a.k.a Safa, who claimed to be a 400-Level Law student of the institution, and is alleged to be a dreaded member of the Vikings Confraternity.

The emerging atmosphere of peace is driven by the decision by the Magistrate Court 9, Enugu South Local Government Area Magistrate district, presided over by Chief Magistrate (Mrs) V.O. Anike, to remand him at the Enugu prison.

The Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Danmallam told Sunday Sun that the suspect was arraigned for allegedly conspiring with two others to commit armed robbery and thereby committed an offence contrary to section 6 (6) and punishable under section (2) (a) (b) of the Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act. Cap 30 Revised Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2014.

Sunday Sun further learnt that the suspect was arrested by the Anti-Cultism Squad (ACS) of the police command after he and his two accomplices, namely, Kentus Obiora Ugwuanyi, said to be a Medical Radiography student of UNEC and Chidi Cedric, who is at large. All three are members of the Viking Confraternity.

Danmallamm said that the trio had been terrorizing the students of UNEC and robbing them of their valuables.

He further said that the suspect had been arrested three times by the Anti-Cultism Squad, following the several petitions from the school authority and the parents of the student victims, who complained about the alleged criminal activities of Akaata Simon and other cultists.

Danmallam stated that the commander of anti-cultism squad (ACS), Supol Ekelem Chidobe led a team of police detectives and arrested Akaata Simon in January 2017. But he was later released.

Also, in February 2017, Simon was arrested for cultism activities for harassing and robbing students. But the police detectives granted him reprieve as he was writing his semester examination, and in the belief that he would turn a new leaf.

However, nemesis caught up with them when on April 30, 2017, Simon, Obiora Ugwuanyi and Cedric Chidi, attacked a student in Jomo Hostel, who lost a wallet containing N5,000, laptop and phones. They also demanded N500,000 from the victim.

But in May, the long arms of the law encircled him and pulled him into the cold embrace of the police. In a show of contempt for the police, Obiora Ugwuanyi was alleged to have attacked the same victim again after hearing that Akaata, the gang’s ringleader had been arrested by police.

The alleged act prompted the school to arrest Obiora and hand him over to the anti-cultism squad of the Enugu Police Command.

When he spoke with Sunday Sun, Akaata, who hails from Gboko, Benue State said: “I am a student of the University of Nigeria Enugu Campus. I am in Department of Law, and 400-Level. I am a member of the Supreme Viking Confraternity.

We have been involved in several robbery activities, including harassing students in the campus. This is the third time that the police detectives in the Anti-Cultism Squad have arrested me.”

While he is cooling his feet in prison custody, students are now able sleep with their two eyes closed.

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