On Monday, there was some little drama in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Bwari, Abuja, as Chief Edozie Njoku, the factional chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), was detained by Nigerian law enforcement.
The prosecution attorney, CSP Ezekiel Rinamsomte, complained that Njoku verbally intimidated him as counsel in the case before the criminal case was launched against him. This led to the arrest.
He informed Justice Mohammed Madugu that the matter was set to be adjourned shortly after that. He claimed the Bwari Divisional Police Station had already received the report.
Njoku, who was seated in the dock alongside his co-defendant, was questioned by Justice Madugu, who implied that he had already ended proceedings on the lawsuit, about what had taken place.
The APGA factional leader responded and acknowledged greeting Rinamsomte earlier in the day.
However, he refuted claims that he had intimidated the prosecutor.
The prosecutor attempted to get the modified accusation against Njoku and his co-defendant, Chukwuemeka Nwoga, dropped before the trial had started.
Justice Madugu granted the prayer after Panam Ntui, the defense attorney, did not object, and the first prosecution witness, Godwin Odu, the Deputy National Secretary of the APGA, testified.
Following Ntui’s cross-examination of PW1, the court adjourned the case to April 27 to continue the trial.
After Rinamsomte withdrew the complaint, Njoku was afterward released at the police station.
On November 28, 2022, Njoku and Nwoga were charged with a total of 14 counts of criminal forgery, a crime punishable by up to 14 years in prison if convicted.
The retired Justice Mary Peter-Odili’s letterhead paper and a Supreme Court decision were allegedly faked, according to the Inspector General of Police (I-G).
The defendants were charged with collaborating with others to fake a Supreme Court decision in the charge with the charge number CR/12/2022 and the date October 21, 2018.
However, the defendants entered a not-guilty plea to each of the 14 counts.
They were given bail on November 30, 2022, and placed on remand at Suleja Correctional Center.
