Court strikes out case of self-confessed group’s agent

A self-confessed Boko Haram agent, Mr Lawrence Ugwu, has begged a Karu Chief Magistrates’ Court, Abuja, to forgive his criminal intimidations to his former employer.

Ugwu, former staff of Top View Hotel, Abuja, was arraigned on a charge of criminal intimidation contrary to Section 397b of the Penal Code.

He pleaded guilty to the charge and promised to be of good conduct by writing undertaking of good behaviour to the court.

Ugwu told the court that frustration led him to using threat of being a boko haram agent to extort money from the complainant.

The hotel also begged the court to strike out the case, since it had lost interest in the case. Prosecutor Ashashi H.P had told the court that the defendant sent a text message from his handset to the complainant telling him that "he is an agent of boko haram’’.

Ashashi said the text message stated that "I am coming to night to drink star at the hotel and bomb it. You should get ready for mass burial. I have done it in Emab Plaza some time ago.’’

The Magistrate, Folashade Oyekan, struck out the case following a plea by the complainant. Oyekan admonished Ugwu never to allow frustration lead him to committing crime.