A 13-year-old boy, Precious Efurueze, was on Wednesday denied bail by a chief magistrate court in Owerri for allegedly attempting to kill former president Olusegun Obasanjo and the governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim, in Owerri on 31, March, by stoning their campaign convoy with sachets of pure water.

Master Efurueze is among 18 people charged with attempted murder for participation in the attack on Messrs. Obasanjo and Ohakim. Notable among the accused is Prince Madumere, the chief of staff to the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Rochas Okorocha.

At the resumed hearing of the suit yesterday the presiding magistrate, V.C Isiguzo, while delivering ruling on the application for bail for the accused, explained that her court has no jurisdiction on two of the charges because they are punishable by life imprisonment. Mrs. Isiguzo, however, turned down the accused’s request to be granted bail until the conclusion of the substantive suit.

The chief magistrate explained that her reason for denying the accused bail is that they had been charged with felony which carries a punishment of life imprisonment if found guilty. She said the offence is a serious one and, therefore, should not be treated lightly.

Speaking to newsmen at the end of the court session, Greg Okemiri, the counsel representing the 12th to the 16th accused persons, while expressing his displeasure with the ruling of the magistrate, hinted that the reason the application was denied may be political. He was also angered by the continued detention of Master Efurueze who, he explained, under the law of the country, by virtue of being a minor, is considered incapable of committing a crime.

“The law describes him as not capable of committing crime yet,” he said. “All these things are in our law. Sometimes I feel very sad that we do not want to do things right. You see someone who the law describes as not capable of committing a crime yet, and you remand him in an adult prison.” Mr. Okemiri, however, stated that he has taken steps to see that the boy is released soon. The case was adjourned to May 30, for further hearing.

Abeg, won't someone comment on this atrocity? Why should a young boy who is at most misguided at that age be left in a Nigerian prison with all it's inhuman conditions just for stoning pure water? Since when did pure water start killing people? I beg, they had better release that child quickly before the wrath of God begins to deal with them. It is something for Obasanjo and Ohakim to ponder that they are so unpopular, Nigerian children even hate them!

^but why did he "throw stone at a glass house", he suppose to be purnished! If he's not purnished now, he will be worst by the time he grow older

You are talking as if you never misbehaved when you were younger. I'm sure your parents didn't even lock you up in a jail cell much more a prison. It's an adult prison where he may be subjected to all kinds of abuse. How is that going to correct him? There are juvenile deliquency centers and remand homes for boy of his age. The law does not only favor the rich and famous in society. We have rich mens sons who instead of being prosecuted in this country are quietly whisked away to enjoy a life of luxury abroad and here a child is being abused for stoning "pure water". It is too bad.

A clear indication that our judiciary is constantly manipulated by the powers that be. Hw come he is being tried for attempted murder for stoning with pure water? D charges shld be reduced to assault.

@Emary, when i was young, it's true that i did some childish things, but not to d extent of stoning a Governor's convoy, this is very bad, what of when he grow older, though, he shouldn't be imprisoned, but he should be purnished for assault!

I personally do not believe in punishment that is not corrective in nature. Obviously, there were disgruntled adults who fed his convictions that the convoy was bad but "attempted murder for a 13 yr old over pure water"? Please, I beg. I maintain my stand. The charges are too harsh and if our human rights activists in this country were really sincere, this case should have had much more publicity. Correction will help this boy, not blind punishment. Have you been inside a Nigerian prison before? Even the remand homes are not to write home about but would still be better. It is unimaginable what that child is currently going through and I don't know what his parents and relatives, if he has any, are doing that would prevent them from crying out. If this boy is convicted, he could spend the rest of his life in jail. God help him!

The man who threw shoe at former US Pres. Bush only did mouths and was released how much more a 13 year old with sachet water. They should free d boy abeg, he has had enough correction already