From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The police on Friday, accused Ms Precious Chikwendu, the estranged wife of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode of threatening the lives of witnesses lined up in the alleged attempted murder charge against her. The offence, listed as count 14 in the new amended charge, was alleged to have been committed by Chikwendu and Emmanuel Anakan, a co-defendant, on Wednesday within the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja. They were alleged to have “criminally threatened the lives of Bako Maina, Isah Kudaru and other witnesses in the case to eliminate them by death if they insist on testifying in the case.”
The offence was said to be punishable under Section 397 of the Penal Code.
Chikwendu (2nd defendant) and three others were to be re-arraigned before Justice Inyang Ekwo on a 14-count charge.
Other defendants in the trial include Anakan, Prisca Chikwendu and Osakwe Azubuike as 1st, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively, while others are said to be at large.
The four defendants were earlier arraigned before the court on Feb. 14 on 13 counts, and Justice Ekwo fixed April 27, April 28 and April 29 for trial commencement. But in an amended charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/01/2022 dated and filed by John Ijagbemi on behalf of Commissioner of Police, FCT Command on April 28,, the ex-wife was also being charged on allegations bordering on attempted murder of her former husband and children.
She was alleged to have carried two kitchen knives threatening to kill Fani-Kayode, the children and other occupants of the house at Asokoro on Nov. 24, 2018, within the court jurisdiction, an offence said to be punishable under Section 229 of the Penal Code Law.
She was also accused of making false allegations on Nov. 24, 2018 with doctored pictures with intent to deceive members of the public and make them believe that her ex-husband inflicted the injuries in the pictures on her.