Alleged Kpean Killings: Ex–Khana Council Boss, Ally Re-Arraigned as High Court Fixes Trial Dates

A Rivers State High Court sitting in Port Harcourt has re-opened legal proceedings in a high-profile murder and cultism case involving a former local government chairman, as prosecutors pressed ahead with amended charges linked to violent incidents in Khana Local Government Area.

Former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Khana Local Government Area, Sunny Bekanwa, alongside Henry Barikui-Dele, was on Tuesday re-arraigned before the court over a seven-count charge bordering on murder, cult-related activities and the alleged sponsorship of a secret cult group.

The fresh arraignment followed a successful application by the prosecution to amend the original charges. The request, led by state counsel Chigoziru Wordu, was not opposed by defence lawyers, paving the way for the court to take a new plea from the defendants.

When the amended charges were read, both Bekanwa and Barikui-Dele pleaded not guilty to all counts. The prosecution, however, informed the court that its witness was unavailable to testify at the sitting, delaying the commencement of full trial proceedings.

Presiding Judge Justice I.P.C. Igwe, after hearing submissions from both sides, ordered that the defendants remain in prison custody, noting that they were already lawfully detained. The court subsequently adjourned the matter to February 11, 18 and 23, 2026, for trial.

The defendants, alongside others still at large, are accused of belonging to a secret cult group allegedly responsible for the killings of Dr. Lucky Keena and Engineer Deyaa Dunsara in Kpean community on separate dates in 2018. Prosecutors further alleged that Bekanwa, in one of the counts, financed cult activities that reportedly terrorised residents of the community.

The case, which began with the arrest and arraignment of the suspects in 2023 before a magistrate court, was later transferred to the High Court following legal advice from the Department of Public Prosecution. As the trial dates draw near, the proceedings are expected to shed more light on the long-running allegations that have continued to draw public attention in Khana and beyond.