A 41-year-old carpenter, Terwase Ude, residing in Central Deke village, Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State, has been remanded at the Nigeria Correctional Service Centre in Makurdi over allegations of beating one Teryila Aperegh to death.

The Makurdi Chief Magistrates’ Court gave the order on Thursday, charging Ude with criminal conspiracy and culpable homicide.

Chief Magistrate Mr. Kelvin Mbanongun, while refraining from taking Ude’s plea due to jurisdiction constraints, set the next hearing for January 30, 2024.

According to Prosecution Counsel Insp. Godwin Ato, the case was transferred from the Divisional Police Headquarters, Tse-Agberagba in Konshisha LGA, to the State CID, Makurdi, on November 22.

Ato stated, “On Nov. 16, information was received by the police that Ude, who was the youth leader of the Central Deke village, had conspired with some youths to kill a man.”

The accused, along with Saater Mzahan, Udo Agber, Aondowase Tsekan, and others at large, allegedly accused the deceased of stealing yams.

Subsequently, they purportedly beat him to death using sticks, cable wires, and other dangerous weapons.

The prosecutor noted that Ude was apprehended during the police investigation, while others involved in the crime are still at large. The charges brought against Ude contravene sections 97 and 222 of the Penal Code, Laws of Benue, 2004.