Six persons were on Friday charged before a Lokoja Senior Magistrate’s Court for allegedly disrupting an empowerment programme organised by Sen. Ahmed Ogembe (PDP/Kogi West), in Okene, on March 3.

The suspects included Moshood Shuaib Onimisi, Abdullazeez Yusuf, Otaru Musa, Onipe Innocent, Iliyasu Momoh and Jimoh Raji.

The accused, who appeared before Senior Magistrate Ojoma Rachael Haruna, are facing a two-count charge of criminal conspiracy and mischief punishable under section 97(2) of the Penal Code.

The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges and were granted bail in the sum of N20,000 each.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the venue of the empowerment programme had in attendance 1,200 indigent women, who were to share the sum of N24 million provided by the lawmaker, before the armed thugs disrupted the occasion.

Counsel to the accused, Mr Mohammed Abbas and Mr M. J. Samuel, made an oral application for their bail which was rejected by the prosecutor, Sgt. Oladipupo Abimbola, who stated that investigation into the matter was yet to be concluded.

In granting them bail, the magistrate ruled that the surety must present two passport photographs and sign a bond to be of good behaviour.

The magistrate then ordered that the case be transferred to the Senior Magistrate Court in Okene, and fixed March 28 for mentioning. (NAN)