Justice Mohammed Madugu of a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Bwari, Abuja on Monday issued a bench warrant for the arrest of a factional leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku.
Njoku and one Chukwuemeka Nwoga are been charged with alleged forgery of a Supreme Court judgment as well as the letterheaded paper of retired Justice Mary Peter-Odili.
Following the filing of a 14-count criminal charge against them by the Inspector General of Police (IG), the court had scheduled Monday, November 21 for their arraignment.
When the matter was called, prosecution lawyer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Rimamsonte Ezekiel, informed the court that the defendants have been served and are aware of their arraignment today (Monday) but did not show up in court.
The police officer accordingly urged the court to issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the two defendants to compel their appearance in court to defend the allegations against them.
But, the defendants’ lawyer, Mr Panam Ntui, objected to the oral application for bench warrant against his clients, explaining that the first defendant (Njoku) is currently outside the jurisdiction of the court and would be asking for a short adjournment to return from his trip to Imo State in the South-east of the country.
He also argued that the defendants have not been served personally as required by law, adding that he was in court due to the high regards the defendants have for the court.
But, the prosecution insisted that the defendants were duly served, adding that he spoke on phone with the first defendant on November 17, and he sent one Mr Okoro C. Ben, who collected and signed the charge for the two defendants.
The nominal complainant, APGA and Victor Oye, represented by Stephen Nwoga, debunked police claims, saying that Njoku is in Abuja and not Imo State, explaining to the court that Njoku held a press conference in Abuja on Thursday wherein he insulted the Supreme Court and the police, claiming that the charge before the High Court is frivolous.
Responding, the trial judge held that neither existence of the charge nor the date of the case was in dispute as attested to by the counsel to parties in the matter.
Justice Magudu further held that the defendants did not provide any cogent reason why they were not in court being aware of the case and the date for arraignment.
The court subsequently held that the actions of the defendants were deliberate and intentional hence, the request of the prosecution should be granted.
He accordingly made an order for the arrest of the defendants and adjourned to Monday, November 28 for the arraignment of the defendants.
In the charge marked: CR/12/2022 and dated October 21, the defendants were accused of conspiring with others to forge the judgment of the Supreme Court.
Count 10 read: “That you Chief Edozie Njoku, Chukwuemeka Nwoga on or about June 30, 2022 in Abuja and others now at large dishonesty and deliberately forged the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in suit number: SC/CV/686/2021, with the name of Chief Edozie Njoku as the 2nd respondents knowing that he was not a party to the case, using same as a genuine judgment of the court with intent to mislead members of the public and ridiculing the judicial system of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, hereby committed an offence punishable under section 366 penal code law.
Count 11, “That you Chief Edozie Njoku on or about July 18, 2022 and about 10.30am at the Force Headquarters of Nigeria Police Force, Area 11, Abuja and other places paraded and personating yourself as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance which you know the act to be false and criminal, thereby committing an offence which is punishable under section 179 of the penal code.”
Credit: This Day