Can the use of juju (charms) be proved in court?
This is part of what a Bayelsa Magistrate’s Court will have to decide in the case of 12 Bayelsa women whom the police have arraigned before it.
The Police on Wednesday arraigned the 12 women from Agobiri community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA) of the Bayelsa before the Magistrates Court for allegedly using charms to disrupt an ongoing road project.
The women were arraigned over their alleged involvement in an unlawful assembly and the use of ‘diabolic’ means to block the ongoing construction of the Yenagoa-Oporoma Road that is intended to link Oporoma, headquarters of Southern Ijaw LGA.
Court records listed the accused as Madam Nerisa John (43), Christiana Famous (36), Dolphina Ochai (34), Flora Clinton (55), Ayibanua Lucky (33) and Motoko Oyibadoemi (54).
Others are Amilo Brandy (30), Tuebi Romeo (25), Ayibaegben Godbless (40), Becky Williams (37), Ayababy Kwoli (50) and Falaba David (30).
The police filed a two-count charge against them accused before the Magistrate Courts, Oporoma.
The police alleged that between Nov. 24 till Nov. 30 at Agobiri community in Oporoma, the accused conspired among themselves to commit felony viz, unlawful assembly, thereby committing an offence punishable under Section 444(d) of the Criminal Code, Cap C 14 Laws of Bayelsa State, 2006.
“That you (all the accused) and others still at large on the same date and place in the aforesaid Magisterial District with intent to carry out a common purpose, did assemble in such a manner by blocking the ongoing Oporoma-Yenagoa road construction with sticks, plantain, juju and palm fronds.
The women, however, pleaded not guilty and each of them was granted bail in the sum of N50,000 and a surety who owned a landed property.
The Presiding Magistrate, A.N Asuku, adjourned the case till Dec. 6 for continuation.
The women, who are all indigenes of Agobiri community were arrested during their protest against the alleged exclusion of their community from the list of communities that would benefit from the Oporoma-Yenagoa Road construction project.
They were alleged to have threatened to stop the road project if the administration of Gov. Douye Diri did not include their community as a beneficiary of the road project.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 28km road, with several bridges, is being handled by China’s construction giant, CCECC.
