Three more suspects were charged before a Port Harcourt magistrate court for the October 5 killing of four students of the University of Port Harcourt, in Omoikiri-Aluu community, an incident recorded on video, which shook the nation.
Their arraignment has brought to 16 the number of people charged to court for the murder of Ugonna Obuzor, Toku Lloyd, Chidiaka Biringa and Tekenah Elkanah.
The three suspects, Fineboy Jeffrey, 23; Joshua Ekpe, 27 and Abang Cyril, 27, were charged with five counts of conspiracy to kill the students. Their pleas were not taken.
The Chief Magistrate, Emmanuel Woke, said his court lacked jurisdiction to handle the case, and adjourned it to Feb 28, 2013.
The other 13 suspects were at the premises but did not enter the courtroom.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Coucil of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Port Harcourt branch, has applied for the case file of the suspects in order to make sure there was no miscarriage of justice, and for the monitoring of the trial.
The charges against the suspects include felony to wit and murder; offences punishable under Section 324 of the Criminal Code Cap Laws 37 of Rivers State 1999.