Court jails Diri’s aide for assault
A Bayelsa High Court has convicted a Senior Special Assistant on General Duties to the Bayelsa governor, Mr Prudent Oguruguru on a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit assault and assault occassioning harm.
Oguruguru was arrested for assaulting one Ubong Effiong Ubek, leading to the latter being unconscious at Agudama-Epie on February 20, 2024. He was subsequently arraigned on a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, attempted murder, assault occassioning harm, serious assault, and malicious damage before Justice I. A Orukari.
During the trial, the accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges, and the prosecution called six witnesses and tendered seven exhibits to prove its case.
Justice Orukari in his ruling noted that the sole issue of determination was “whether by the totality of evidence adduced, the prosecution proved the elements of the offences charged beyond reasonable doubt to warrant the conviction of the defendant.’’
In his judgment, the judge declared that the prosecution failed to discharge its evidential burden on proving offences in counts two, four, and five bordering on attempted murder, beyond reasonable doubt.
He added that in respect to offences in counts one and three, the evidence led by the prosecution is satisfactory and proved beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant committed the offences of conspiracy to commit assault and assault occassioning assault.
Justice Orukari, therefore, discharged and acquitted Oguruguru of counts two, three, and five. He, however, found him guilty of counts one and three. The defendant’s counsel, Abadiofoni in an allocutus on behalf of his client pleaded that the court temper justice with mercy as the defendant is a first time offender.
However, the prosecuting counsel, D.J Olubowale objected to the allocutus, arguing that it was a settled matter by the Supreme Court that the proper person to take the allocutus is the defendant himself.
Oguruguru in his allocutus pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy because he is the sole provider for his young family and aged mother. Moved by the show of remorse of the defendant and the fact that he is a first time offender, Justice Orukari sentenced him to three years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N250,000 for count one and also three years imprisonment with an option of a fine of N250,000 for count three. He ordered that both sentences would run concurrently.
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