The Nigeria Police authorities have commenced the criminal trial against a former governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, before 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 N100 million for his governorship 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 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.’
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.
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