Court Remands APGA Factional Leader, Njoku, Over Alleged Forgery of S’Court Judgment
A High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Bwari, Abuja, has ordered the remand of a factional leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Edozie Njoku and another at the Suleja Correctional Center.
Njoku and his co-defendant, Chukwuemeka Nwoga are to be remanded in custody until the 30th of this month, when the court would deliver ruling in the bail applications.
The judge, Justice Mohammed Madugu fixed the date for ruling shortly after arguments were made for and against the bail applications by counsel in the matter.
Njoku and Nwoga were earlier arraigned on a 14 count criminal charge bordering on forgery, an offence which attracts imprisonment of maximum of 14 years jail term if found guilty.
The Inspector General of Police, in the charged had accused them of forging a Supreme Court Judgment and the letterheaded paper of retired Justice Mary Odili.
However, the defendants pleaded not guilty to the 14 counts charge, after which their counsel, Mr Panam Ntui sought permission of the court to argue their bail applications.
Ntui urged the court to admit the defendants to bail in the most liberal terms arguing that they had proved that they were law abiding citizens and persons who have respect for the court by appearing before the court voluntarily.
The prosecution counsel and Chief Superintendent of Police, Rimamsonte Ezekiel, opposed the hearing of the applications on the grounds that he was not served and that Njoku would jump bail on the grounds that he also holds a british passport.
He pointed out that counts 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the charge prescribed a maximum of 14 years jail term as needed punishment for offenders and as such the court should deny them bail.
After listening to arguments of counsel to parties in the suit, Justice Madugu, therefore adjourned the matter until Wednesday, this week for ruling.
Reacting to the development, the founding National Chairman of APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie described the judgment as a travesty of justice, describing Mr Njoku’s quest to lead the party as legitimate.
