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There was delicate drama, on Monday, on the premises of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Excessive Courtroom in Bwari, Abuja, because the factional Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Edozie Njoku, was arrested by the Nigerian police.
The arrest adopted a criticism by the prosecution lawyer, Ezekiel Rinamsomte, that Mr Njoku, previous to the graduation of the legal case filed towards him, had verbally threatened him as counsel within the matter.
He informed Justice Mohammed Madugu shortly after the case was about to be adjourned.
He stated the criticism had already been lodged on the Bwari Divisional Police Station.
“My lord, this morning after I got here to the court docket, he (Njoku) noticed me, waved his hand at me and stated prosecutor how are you and we shook fingers.
“I didn’t even recognise him as a result of there’s nothing private between me and him.
“The subsequent factor this man began telling me was that he was going to ship calamity upon calamities upon my household; that members of my household might be dying and that he would take care of me.
“I requested him what have I finished, he stated he was a really harmful man. He stated he was the explanation why Director, Litigation of Supreme Courtroom, Mr Dikko, was eliminated and dismissed.
“That he was going to shake the Nigerian Police Pressure; that he was the explanation why the daughter of (Onyechi) Ikpeazu, SAN, died; that he was going to take care of all people on this case.
“And I stated does it imply that this man is above the legislation or what’s the downside,” the lawyer stated.
Mr Rinamsomte stated he determined to tell the decide in order that the court docket might take judicial discover of what transpired between him and Mr Njoku earlier within the morning
Justice Madugu, who hinted that he had already closed continuing on the swimsuit, nevertheless, requested Mr Njoku, who was standing within the dock along with his co-defendant, what occurred.
Responding, the APGA factional chairman admitted exchanging pleasantries with Mr Rinamsomte earlier within the day.
However he denied the allegations that he threatened the prosecutor.
“My lord, I solely stated that anyone on this case, who lied towards me to go to jail or ship anybody to jail by telling lie, calamity will befall that particular person,” he stated.
Mr Njoku stated he neither talked about something in regards to the late Ikpeazu’s daughter nor made any such feedback attributed to him by the prosecutor.
The decide, then, jokingly stated Mr Rinamsomte ought to have averted Mr Njoku who he knew was standing trial.
“It’s best to have greeted him from afar,” he stated.
NAN experiences that on the graduation of the trial, the prosecutor sought to withdraw the amended cost filed towards Mr Njoku and his co-defendant, Chukwuemeka Nwoga.
And after it was not opposed by the defence counsel, Panam Ntui, Justice Madugu, granted the prayer, and the first prosecution witness, Godwin Odu, the Deputy Nationwide Secretary of APGA, gave his testimony.
The decide, consequently, adjourned the matter till 27 April for trial continuation after Ntui cross-examined the PW1.
Mr Njoku, in an interview with journalists shortly after the continuing, stated Mr Rinamsomte’s allegations towards him had been baseless.
“The prosecutor made a horrible declare towards me and he has already introduced policemen to arrest me. That’s their Possibility B.
“That I stated I killed Onyechi Ikpeazu’s daughter; that I stated he’ll die, that I stated I’m a really harmful man; that he has gone and introduced the police to arrest me and face costs,” he stated.
He stated “It appears to be like as if their preliminary case towards him is lifeless” and so they had been searching for one other approach to delay justice.
NAN experiences that Mr Njoku was later launched on the police station after Mr Rinamsomte withdrew the case.
Messrs Njoku and Nwoga had been, on 28 November 2022, arraigned on a 14-count legal cost bordering on forgery, an offence which attracts imprisonment of a most of 14 years jail time period if discovered responsible.
The Inspector Normal (I-G) of Police had accused them of forging a Supreme Courtroom judgment and the letterhead paper of retired Justice Mary Peter-Odili.
Within the 1charge marked: CR/12/2022 and dated October 21, the defendants had been accused of conspiring with others to forge a judgment of the Supreme Courtroom.
The defendants, nevertheless, pleaded not responsible to the whole 14-count cost.
They had been remanded at Suleja Correctional Centre and granted bail on 30 November 2022.
(NAN)
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