Judiciary
AN Owerri Magistrate Court has granted 14 persons arraigned in connection with the fracas between Governor Hope Uzodimma and ex-Governor Rochas Okorocha over the sealing of the latter’s property a total of N70 million for their bail.
Realnews reported on Sunday, February 21, that Okorocha was arrested by and detained at the police station in Owerri. But today the police arraigned the suspects arrested along with him for breaking into the property sealed by the State government.
Those arraigned in the court on Monday, February 22, are Darlington Ibekwe, Obasi Goodluck, Nwaiwu Ndubuisi, Median Ijeoma, Obor Victor, Ucheka Claudin, Sunday Chisom and Ekpendu Peace.
Others were Nev F. Raphael, Basil Mba, Steve Asimobi, Ebere Nwokeji, Eberendu Chimechifulam and Olu Chizoba.
During the hearing, a mild drama played out in the court as Ibekwe slumped inside the courtroom after they were accused of conspiring among themselves to disobey a lawful order issued by the state by removing the seal of the state government and entering into the sealed premises of Royal Spring Palm Hotel and Apartments belonging to Okorocha.
Ibekwe was also accused of publishing a recorded defamatory matter on social media with the intent to injure the reputation of the state government and damage the image of Governor Uzodimma by exposing him to hatred, contempt, ridicule.
Also, Chizoba was charged with unlawful possession of a double-barrel pump action gun without a license.
According to M.A. Omo-Osagie, police prosecutor, Okorocha’s former appointees, who accompanied him to the sealed property premises were at large. They are Lasbery Okaforanyanwu, Ijeoma Igboanusi and his son-in-laws, Uche Nwosu and Uzoma Anwuka.
After a six-count charge was read to the suspects, Eddy Onyema, lawyer to the defendants, requested bail for them, assuring that they would return to the court to take their trial.
Onyema pointed out that the charges against the defendants were not capital offenses, but mere felonies urging the court to grant their request for bail.
However, when B. U. Adikaibe, the magistrate, returned to the courtroom for her ruling, Ibekwe slumped and was revived by his fellow suspects, who requested for water with which he was revived.
After the incident, the court granted all 14 accused person bail with N5 million each totaling N70 million, a condition the court said must be fulfilled before they would regain their freedom.
– Feb. 22, 2021 @ 13:51 GMT /
Tags: Uzodimma vs Okorocha: Court grants 14 persons N70m bail
