A Wuse Zone Six Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, on Friday ordered the remand of a human rights activist, Prof. Zainab Duke Abiola, in a correctional centre for alleged assault.
The police arraigned Abiola and her housemaid, Rebecca Enechido, for the alleged grievous assault of an orderly, Insp. Teju Moses, at her residence in the Garki area of Abuja on Tuesday.
Police alleged that the defendants assaulted Moses for refusing to carry out domestic chores at the activist’s house.
The defendants were arrested after a video clip of the incident surfaced on social media on Wednesday.
The duo were arraigned for criminal conspiracy, attempt to commit culpable homicide, causing grievous hurt without provocation, criminal intimidation and intentional insult with intent to cause breach of peace.
They, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The prosecution counsel, ASP Stanley Nwafoaku, told the court that Moses, who is attached to the Special Protection Unit in the Force Headquarters, Abuja, reported the matter at the Garki Police Station on September 20, 2022.
He said: “On September 19, Abiola ordered the complainant to pick her bag and keep same in her car. She also ordered the orderly to open the gate during rain.
“Abiola also ordered the complainant to wash her car carpet and Moses politely turned down the order because she was already in her police uniform.
“The defendant started raining insults on the complainant and instructed the second defendant, Enechido to do same.
“When the complainant came later in the same day to pick her belongings, the defendants attacked her with one Ugo, who is currently at large.
“The first defendant hit the complainant with a metal object on the head before she was rescued by a passerby.”
The offence, according to the prosecutor, contravened sections 97, 229,247,397 and 399 of the Penal Code.
The defence counsel, Hassan Yusuf, urged the court to grant his clients bail in the most liberal terms, citing section 36 (5) of the 1999 Constitution.
Magistrate Elizabeth Wonu ordered that the defendants should be remanded at the Suleja correctional centre and adjourned the matter till October 5 for hearing.
