From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
A former Governor of Imo State, Dr Ikedi Ohakim, was on Tuesday discharged and acquitted by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, on a 3-count criminal charge entered against him by the Inspector-General of Police.
The development followed a notice of discontinuance filed by the police in relation to the matter. The notice of discontinuance of charge No: CR/933/2020 dated March 12, 2021, was filed before the court by Rotshang Faith Dimka, Legal Counsel, Legal/Prosecution Section, FCIID, Force Headquarters, Abuja.
It reads:
‘Take notice that the complainant discontinues all of the proceedings in this case against Dr Ikedi Ohakim with the consent of all the parties.’
Following the development, Ohakim was accordingly discharged and acquitted by the court as the charge was struck out.
Competent sources told Daily Sun that the police authorities took the decision to discontinue the case after it discovered that the charge was a malicious act against the defendant.
The Inspector-General of Police had in the said charge accused Ohakim of giving false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa.
Police alleged that the former governor lied that the lady had threatened him with a gun, and equally made a false claim that he had a plot of land for sale in Lagos.
He was in count 3 of the charge alleged to have unlawfully dropped the name of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, as the owner of the purported land situated at Ikeja, Lagos state.
According to the charge that was signed by police prosecutor Mr Stanley Nwodo, the former governor committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of Northern Nigeria, 1968.
It 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.’
Before the matter was struck out, the former governor had entered a plea of not guilty.
In a related development, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) said the allegations of Intimidation, emotional, verbal and psychological abuse made against Ohakim by Ms Chinyere Lilian Amuchienwa cannot be substantiated.
The position of the agency is contained in its preliminary investigation report on the matter.
The report signed by Moses Unongu has accordingly recommended that the case review committee to ‘discontinue the case as there is insufferable evidence to sustain the victim’s claim of being intimidated and abused emotionally, verbally and psychologically by the suspect.’
