Alleged killiers of Jumia dispatch rider: Sodienye Mbatumukeke (aka Jelly) and Excel Divine Naabe (aka Joker)

Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

The two suspected killers of a dispatch rider whose body was found in a septic tank last year, have pleaded not guilty to the three count charge of conspiracy, murder and armed robbery.

The suspects appeared in court  in continuation of the murder trial that started last year.

A Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt last year remanded them in prison.

The accused persons,  Sodienye Mbatumukeke (aka Jelly) and  Excel Divine Naabe (aka Joker)  were arraigned yesterday on three-count charge of conspiracy and murder,  for allegedly  killing one Eleje Chukwuma, the dispatch rider who was a staff of Jumia Online Shopping Company

The Commissioner of Police who arraigned the accused persons,  said they committed the offense on March 25, 2017, at No. 1 Ada-Ede Street, Shell Location,  Mgbuoba, Port Harcourt.

According to the charges proffered against the accused persons, on count one,  Mbatumukeke  (24) and Naabe (27) on the aforementioned date,  carried offensive weapon,  pestle,  and hit the victim on head  and robbed of him an Infinix Note 3 handset valued at N67,000.

Also,  they robbed him of one Gionee M6 phone valued N105,000 and IM-10 Desktop GSM  dual sims phone valued N9,500; all totaling N181,000.

But the trial could not go on.

Chief Magistrate, Andrew O. Amadi-Nna, after the case was mentioned, said the court lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter due to the gravity of offense committed.

He said the case file would be transferred to the Court Registrar for onward transmission to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for legal advice.

He, however, stated that the accused persons could seek bail at the State High Court.

There was no defense counsel for the accused persons. The third accused person, a female, Joy Eluwa, was not brought to court for arraignment.