Court denies ex-Imo deputy governor bail over alleged felony, other charges

A Magistrate Court sitting in Owerri has declined to grant bail to the immediate past deputy governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona.

The police had, on Wednesday, arrested Irona at his Owerri residence and subsequently arraigned him in court, yesterday, with felony and treason charges.

The Guardian gathered that counsel to the ex deputy governor, S. I Imo, had, immediately he was arraigned, moved a motion that Irona be granted bail on self-recognition.

Also, Imo pleaded that if Irona could not be granted bail on self-recognition, a state lawmaker, Frank Ugboma, representing Oguta state Constituency, was willing to take him on bail.

But the lead prosecutor, Sunday Ogbuji, opposed the bail application, saying the magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter. He also maintained that one of the charges preferred on the ex-deputy governor bothered on felony and that only a judge of a high court could grant Irona bail.

The presiding magistrate, C. N Ezerioha, after hearing the prosecution and defence counsels, ordered that Irona be remanded in Owerri Correctional Centre. The magistrate agreed that she lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter or grant the accused bail.

The jurist also directed the prosecution counsel to make documents available to the defence counsel to enable them take next legal line of action and ordered that the case file be transferred to the state Department of Public Prosecutions.

The three-count charge reads: “That you, Gerald Irona, sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri Magistrate District, conspired with others, now at large, to commit felony to wit: treason and, thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 37(2) of the criminal code, Cap C 38, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo State.”

“That you, Irona, sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri Magistrate District, did make several utterances to the effect that you will make Imo State ungovernable, and immediately, afterwards, hoodlums levied attacks on the state with intent to intimidate or overawe the governor of the state and, thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 37 of the criminal code, Cap, C 38, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.

“That you, Irona, on January 15, 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri Magistrate District, converted to your own use two Land Cruiser Jeeps (V8 and V6) and one Toyota Hilux vehicle valued at N400 million and N93 million property of Imo State government, thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 390 (9) of the criminal code, Cap C 38, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.”