Civil servant accuses Abuja chief of threatening to kill him

A civil servant, Ochu Paul, told an Upper Area Court in Gwagwalada, Abuja that a palace chief threatened to kill him over a land dispute.

Paul gave the account on the resumed trial of the palace chief, Iliya Baza, on charges of criminal trespass and intimidation preferred against him and one Benjamin Enoch, a palace guard by the police.

The complainant (Paul), who was being cross-examined by the prosecution counsel, Abdullahi Tanko, said the land was bought by his father in 1990 and had not been in dispute since then, until now.

“The defendant (Baza) has been a great adversary to my father. They are great enemies.

“My father bought the land in 1990 when Kwali Area Council was under Gwagwalada and since then we have been operating on our land, the land is free from trouble and trespass since 1990 up until date and no one has intimidated or harassed us over the land.

“It all started in May, 6 2019 when I went to the palace of the Etsu Kwali for his royal blessing over a project I wanted to embark on; Baza was there in the company of other chiefs. When I was introduced by my father’s name, he was not happy to see me. He never knew my father had a grown up son.

“After three days of my visit, Baza held a meeting with some people on how to kill me; in the meeting their plan was to relocate me to another land and collect my land and if I disagree they will attack, and kill me under the guise that I attempted attacking a chief and that was the reason I was killed.

”I was reliably informed by someone to be more careful of the chief as there was a plan on ground to kill me,” he alleged.

He said that he reported the matter to the palace and the defendant sent one of his boys, Enoch (second defendant) to beat and threaten him, adding that he was rushed to the hospital for treatment and later reported the matter to the police.

He however, tendered the hospital card, scan receipt and receipt of the drugs he purchased as exhibits.

The offence, the police said contravenes the provisions of Sections 348 and 397 of the Penal Code.

After listening to the testimony, the judge, Sani Umar, adjourned the case until April 20 for cross- examination of the witness.