Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Court orders AGF to take over Ohakim’s prosecution, fixes arraignment for October 21

By Ameh Ochojila, Abuja
28 September 2021   |   3:12 am
Justice Taiwo Taiwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to take over the prosecution of former Governor of Imo State

Federal High Court, Abuja [/caption4Justice Taiwo Taiwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja, yesterday, ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to take over the prosecution of former Governor of Imo State, Ikedi Ohakim.

Ohakim was accused of threatening to release nude photographs of an Abuja-based woman, Mrs. Chinyere Amuchienwa, following initial criminal charges the police filed against Ohakim over threat to Amuchienwa’s life.

While waiting for Ohakim to be arraigned in court, the Police later filed a notice of discontinuance of the matter in March, the same day Malami told the court that it had taken over Ohakim’s prosecution.

In the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/287/2020, Ohakim and Chinedu Okpareke allegedly threatened to release a nude photograph of Chinyere Amuchienwa, if she failed to drop charges of attempted kidnap she leveled against them.

The police had sued Ohakim and Okpareke over allegations of threat to life and harassment of Amuchienwa.

In his ruling, Justice Taiwo held that there was no doubt that the AGF had powers to prosecute anyone, adding that where issues have been joined in a criminal matter, a notice of discountenancing could be brought by motion on notice.

Consequently, Justice Taiwo, who had, in July fixed Monday to rule on the AGF’s request to take over the prosecution of the matter, stated that the Court could not give effect to the notice of discontinuance filed by the Police.

He insisted that the move by the Police to discontinue the matter lacked merit and fixed October 21, 2021, for Ohakim’s arraignment and commencement of trial.

In the five-count charge dated November 25, 2020, the Police alleged that Ohakim and Okpareke, intentionally transmitted communication through a computer system to harass and bully Amuchienwa, an offence punishable under Section 24 (1) (a) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.

In this article

0 Comments