A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Bwari has ordered that a factional leader of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku and one other be remanded in prison over their alleged complicity in the forgery of a judgment of the Supreme Court.
Justice Mohammed Magudu, in a ruling on Monday, ordered that Njoku and his co-defendant, Chukwuemeka Nwoga be remanded in the Suleja prison in Niger State until November 30 when he would rule on their bail application.
Justice Magudu also set aside an arrest warrant earlier issued against the defendants.
Their lawyer, Panam Ntui had argued their bail application shortly after they pleaded not guilty to a 14-count charge filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP).
Prosecuting lawyer, Rimamsomte Ezekiel, objected to the bail application, arguing that the offences with which the defendants were charged are not minor, noting that some attract a maximum of 14 years imprisonment on conviction.
Ezekiel, who said he was ready for accelerated trial, told the court that the prosecution plans to call retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili as a witness in the case.
Njoku and Nwoga are, in the charge marked: CR/12/2022 accused among others, of altering a judgment delivered by the Supreme Court on October 14, 2021 in the appeal marked: SC/CV/686/2021 and inserting Njoku’s name as the second defendant when he was never a party in the case.
The defendants were alleged to have written Justices Mary Odili, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Mohammed Garba and Ibrahim Saulawa (who were members of the panel that delivered the judgment) to help insert Njoku’s name as the second respondent.
They were alleged to have procured the services of some officials of the court who helped to insert Njoku’s name on the judgment, which Njoku allegedly presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the IGP, claiming to have been declared APGA’s National Chairman by the Supreme Court.
Their arraignment was earlier scheduled for November 21, but they failed to attend court, following which the judge issued a bench warrant for their arrest.
According to their lawyer, the defendants came to court on their own volition on Monday before the police could execute the arrest warrant.
(NAN)
