Godwin Tsa, Abuja
The Police authorities have commenced criminal trial against former governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
In the charge marked CR/993/2020 and dated September 23, 2020, the office of the Inspector-General of Police accused Ohakim of fraud and false information.
The former governor was equally accused of using the name of the Minister 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 N100m for his governorship campaign in 2019, which he could not prove in the statement.The police said the former governor will soon be arraigned in court.
The three-count charge against Ohakim, signed by Mr. Stanley Nwodo read, ‘’That you Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 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. Ina 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.