Court acquits 105-year-old of criminal conspiracy, intimidation

A Magistrates’ court sitting in Pankshin, Plateau, has acquitted Goshi Bonlu, 105, Chief of Gwabi-Gassarak, Pankshin Local Government Area of criminal conspiracy and intimidation.

Delivering the ruling on Tuesday, the magistrate, Yebo Dabup, said after listening to four witnesses and the evidence before the court, no criminal case had been established against Bonlu.

Dapub held that based on the findings, the centenarian, who was standing trial alongside two others for criminal conspiracy and intimidation, had been discharged of all charges and his name struck out of the case.

Meanwhile, Sati Bonlu, 40, the second defendant, and Nensemka Sati, 20, the third defendant, would still be facing the two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and intimidation.

According to the magistrate, though the centenarian, who is the first defendant in the case, has been discharged and acquitted, Bonlu and Sati, however, will be facing the charges brought against them.

He noted that based on the evidence before the court, a criminal case had been established against the defendants.

According to the Judge, Sati and Bonlu, both from Gwabi-Gassarak, Pankshin, had on June 10, 2023, conspired and threatened to kill  Peret Enoch, the nominal complainant.

He said the defendants accused Enoch of initiating their children into witchcraft, thereby threatening to kill her or evict her from the community.

He said the complainant had honoured an invitation to the palace of the chief to respond to the allegations against her in the presence of a large crowd of people.

Dapub, however, said the defendants demanded that Enoch be handed over to them for execution in spite of the children’s insistence that she was not involved in any initiation.

The magistrate said the offences were punishable under sections 89 and 377 of the Plateau State Penal Code Law 2017.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges brought against them.

Counsel for the defendants,  Friday Bonlu, pleaded with the court to maintain the bail already granted to his clients to allow them prepare their defence.

The magistrate granted the prayer of the defendants’ counsel and adjourned the case to Sept. 8, for further hearing.