By G9ija
John Ike Lyon, a suspected ‘celebrity kidnapper’ , and his accomplice, Emmanuel Angase, were on Thursday, arraigned on a 14-count charge involving conspiracy to commit felony, kidnapping, and armed robbery.
However, while being led back into the waiting police van after their arraignment, the suspects made a ruckus on the grounds of the Bayelsa State Judiciary Complex in Yenagoa, demanding that they be allowed to speak to the press.
The suspects, who pled not guilty plea to the 14-count charge before Justice Ineikad Eradiri of Bayelsa State High Court 6, claimed that they were being threatened in the custody of the police, insisting on being taken to the Yenagoa Correctional facility as the presiding judge had instructed, and refused to get into the police Hilux van.
However, when their attorney informed them that the judge had not yet signed their prison remand order, the police forced them into the police van.
The suspected leader of the group, John Lyon, began sobbing and protesting that his health was getting worse while he was in the custody of the police.
According to the count read out by the court clerk, John Lyon Ike, Emmanuel Charles Angase and others at large were charged on four counts of “conspiracy to commit felony contrary to section 444 sub (a) of the criminal code law, Cap (C) Laws of Bayelsa State, 2006.”
They were also charged on eight counts of “kidnapping contrary to Section 2 sub (1) of the Kidnapping and Other Offences Laws of Bayelsa State 2013,” and a further two counts of armed robbery, contrary to Section 329 sub (2 ) of the criminal code law, cap ‘C’ of Bayelsa State, 2006.”
After their Pleadings were noted by the Court, the Prosecution, led by The Director of Public Prosecutions, Apulu Iyabosa, requested that the accused be held in custody at the Yenagoa Correctional facility and the trial judge, Justice Eradiri, granted their request.