Godwin Tsa Abuja
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has summoned a former governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, to appear before it on November 11 for his arraignment on a three-count criminal charges filed against him by the Inspector General of Police.
This is contained in a hearing notice issued pursuant to Order 3 rule 7 of the FCT High Court, dated October 30, 2020, commanding the appearance of the erstwhile governor in court number 32 for arraignment.
According to the court document, Ohakim is expected to be arraigned before Justice S. U. Bature of the Maitama division of the court.
The Police alleged in the charge marked, FCT/HC/CR/993/2020, that Ohakim, who was governor of Imo state from 2007 to 2011, gave false information against Lady Chinyere Amuchienwa.
The prosecuting agency further alleged that the erstwhile governor lied that the lady threatened him with a gun, and equally made a false claim that he had a plot of land for sale in Lagos.
The three-count charge singed by Mr. Stanley Nwodo of the Force Legal Department dated September 23, 2020, the office of the Inspector General of Police also accused Ohakim of using the name of the Minsiter of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
In addition, the prosecution alleged that Ohakim claimed in his statement to the police that he gave Lady Chinyere Lilian Amuchienwa the sum of N100 million for his governorship in 2019, which he could not prove in the statement.
The three-count charge against Ohakim, signed by Mr Stanley Nwodo read:‘
“That you Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 23rd day of May 2019 at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully gave false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa, that she threatened you with gun knowing it to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.”
“That you Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 23rd day of May 2019, at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully gave false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa, that you have a plot of land for sale at Lagos state, knowing it to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.‘
“That you Ikedi Ohakim on or about the 23rd day of May 2019 at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully used derogatory the name of Raji Fashola as the owner of the purported land situated at Ikeja, Lagos state and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.’
In a related development, an Upper Area Court sitting in Mpape, Abuja, has sentenced one Kingsley Ogam, who is said to be working for the former Governor to eight months in prison with an option of N30,000 fine.
In the charge marked CR/496/2020, Ogam was sentenced to prison on September 24, 2020.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Ogam was arraigned before the court for defamation of character, injurious falsehood and criminal intimidation.
The prosecution said the offence is punishable under Section 392, 393 and 397 of the Penal Code Law.
Ogam was said to have defamed the character of Lady Chinyere Lilian Amuchienwa.
He was sentenced to prison by Mohammad Maraca after he pleaded guilty to the charges against him.
The court also ordered him to write an apology letter to Amuchienwa.
The judge instructed that Kingsley Ogam should tender an apology to lady Amuchienwa of which she rejected.
Also, a certain Chinedu Opereke was arrested alongside Kingsley Ogam and was remanded in Suleja prison by the court.
The former Governor was also supposed to be arraigned before the Upper Area Court for conspiracy.
He was invited on September 10 by the police in relation to a petition against him by Lady Amuchienwa, over alleged defamation of character, injurious falsehood and criminal intimidation.
But rather than honouring his invitation, Ohakim rushed to a high court in Imo State for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.
In the application filed at the High Court of Justice of Imo state, with suit number HON/717/2020, he asked for an order of the court stopping the police from inviting, arresting and detaining him.
After listening to the motion, Justice VI Onyeka granted the order.
However, a thorough look at the document shows that the motion was filed on September 10, 2020, assigned same day and the order granted the same day.