A magistrate in Enugu State Judiciary, Mrs. Ifeoma Nneji reportedly died inside her cell in Enugu Prison Tuesday night for alleged complications arising from shock.
She was remanded in Enugu prison along with her husband on Monday after they were arraigned for “conspiracy, false information and attempted murder.”
The deceased magistrate, who served at Oji River Magisterial District before she was recently suspended by the State Judicial Service Commission on account of her involvement in the alleged abduction of a 9-year-old-girl, passed on Tuesday night.
Sources said that she became ill about 24 hours after she arrived the prison following her remand by an Enugu Magistrate Court for allegedly assaulting a female tenant residing in her husband’s house.
Mrs Nneji, her husband, Mr. Ifeanyi Nneji and another unnamed person living with them were said to have beaten and injured the tenant over an undisclosed squabble which resulted in the arraignment and remand of the couple.
Controller of Enugu Prison, Mr. Alloy Uchenna confirmed the death of the magistrate but said that the Deputy Controller in-charge of the prison was yet to brief him about what transpired.
When contacted, the State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ebere Amaraizu, said that Mrs Nneji and her husband were re-arraigned for another case of conspiracy, false information and attempted murder on Monday and were subsequently remanded in prison.
“They were remanded in Enugu prison custody where she died yesterday. The matter for which they were charged commenced from Abakpa Division and was later transferred to State Criminal Investigations Department, CID from where they were arraigned on Monday and the court remanded them in prison. We heard the Magistrate died on Tuesday but the cause of her death is not yet known,” the state police spokesman said.
Mrs Nneji was on March 2, 2014 arrested by the police for allegedly abducting a 9-year-old child but after she was arraigned with her husband, Ifeanyi, they were granted bail.
They allegedly committed the fresh offence which landed them in prison custody on Monday.
