A self-acclaimed traditional ruler in Rivers State who has been cooling off his heels in police net over allegations of stealing a school fridge and lawn mower belonging to his community has now regained his freedom. 

Benedict Dan-Jumbo, who claims to be the Chief-elect of Dan-Jumbo Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom, was allegedly detained by the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) of the Rivers State Police Command and later granted administrative bail.  

Acting on a petition by a law firm, Odey & Odey, on behalf of the Executives of Dan-Jumbo Community in Bonny Local Government Area, the State Commissioner of Police, Joseph Mukan arrested and detained the suspect at the SCIID, Port Harcourt.

He (the suspect) was accused of misappropriating the sum of N1,450,000, a lawn mower belonging to the community, and a refrigerator belonging to Community Primary School, Dan-Jumbo Community.

The said petition by a law firm, Odey & Odey Solicitors, on behalf of the Executives of Dan-Jumbo Community, addressed to the State Commissioner of Police read thus:

“PETITION OF STEALING, CONVERSION AND OBTAINING BY FALSE PRETENSE AGAINST BENEDICT A. G. DAN-JUMBO

We act for Warisenibo Reverend Alfred B. Dan-Jumbo and Elder Cyril Dan-Jumbo who are executive committee members representing Dan-Jumbo Community of Grand Bonny (our client). 

Warisenibo Reverend Alfred B. Dan-Jumbo is the current Chairman of the Dan-Jumbo War Canoe House of Grand Bonny while Elder Cyril Dan-Jumbo is Vice Chairman of the said house and we have been briefed by them (our clients) thus:

1.            That Benedict Dan-Jumbo who is a member of the Dan-Jumbo Community is defrauding unsuspecting victims and appropriating community assets to himself.

2.            He has on several occasions collected monies now totaling over N1,450,000.00 on behalf o the community and has never rendered account or remitted same to the community.

3.            That the said Elder Benedict has severally burgled the community property and made away with items belonging to the community.

4.            The said community items he has converted unto himself include but not limited to:

5.            Dan-Jumbo community school fridge which he took away from the head mistress of the school, late Mrs. Lilian Simon-Hart and converted to his personal use without her knowledge when she was alive.

6.            Two grass cutting machines (lawn mower) belonging to the community.

That the community through Elder Alfred Dan-Jumbo led Exco had written to him demanding the above and sundry items to be returned to the community all to no avail. A copy of the letter dated 3/3/2018 is herein annexed for your case of reference.” 

Meanwhile, prior to the case of theft of community property against him, the said Benedict Dan-Jumbo was also wanted for jumping bail in a case of impersonation against him.

Some members of the Dan-Jumbo family had dragged him before a Senior Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt for contempt by allegedly contravening a 1914 judgment regarding the leadership of the Dan-Jumbo Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom.

Upon the reassignment of the case to a new Senior Magistrate it became imperative to re-arraign the said Dan-Jumbo for the case to begin afresh but he was said to have gone underground with the Police frantically searching for him.  

He was re-arrested by the Police, which was executing a bench warrant for his arrest from a Port Harcourt Senior Magistrate Court after being granted administrative bail by the State CIID, Port Harcourt, and brought before His Worship, Justice Amadi, who formally arraigned him for contempt of court. 

The Senior Magistrate, His Worship Justice Amadi ordered him to be remanded in prison custody at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre, Dockyard, Bundu-Ama, Port Harcourt pending the hearing of his bail application before the court.

The bail conditions included among other things that he produce a first class chief from Bonny LGA to take him on bail being as he claimed a chief-elect in Bonny Kingdom. Incidentally, the only first class chief in Bonny LGA is the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom.

There was mild drama in court, however, at the resumed hearing of the bail application when after a week, it was clear he could not get the Amanyanabo of Bonny Kingdom to sign the bail bond for him, the said Benedict Dan-Jumbo allegedly declaimed his purported status of being a chief-elect to enable his lawyer to ask the court to vary his bail conditions.

The court obliged his lawyer and varied his bail condition to have any notable personality in the society to take him on bail. Upon fulfilling the varied bail application, he was released on bail thereafter.

Lawyer to the Dan-Jumbo Community, Eugene Odey told Kristina Reports that the ongoing efforts to ensure that justice was served in the matter and community properties allegedly misappropriated by the suspect were returned and necessary restitution done would be sustained until the case is concluded.

Efforts to reach Benedict Dan-Jumbo proved abortive as calls to his mobile number were neither answered nor returned and text messages were not responded to as at the time of this report.

Kristina Reports will continue bringing updates on the matter as it unfolds in the court.