Anthony Iwuoma
A factional chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku was, on Monday, sent to jail by a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), in Bwari.
Also remanded with Edozie in prison is Chukwuemeka Nwoga.
The duo is to explain their alleged complicity in the forgery of a judgment of the Supreme Court.
Justice Mohammed Magudu, in a ruling on Monday, ordered that Njoku and Nwoga be remanded in the Suleja prison in Niger State until November 30 when he would rule on their bail application.
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He also discharged an arrest warrant he had earlier issued against the defendants.
They pleaded not guilty to a 14-count charge filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) after which the defence counsel, Panam Ntui, argued their bail application.
However, prosecuting counsel, Rimamsomte Ezekiel, opposed the bail application, contending that the alleged offence was serious, attracting noting that some attract a maximum of 14 years imprisonment on conviction.
He stated that he was ready for accelerated trial, adding that the prosecution planned to call retired Justice of the Supreme Court, Justice Mary Odili, as a witness.
The suspects, in the charge marked: CR/12/2022 accused among others, of altering a judgment of the Supreme Court on October 14, 2021 in the appeal marked: SC/CV/686/202, and inserting Njoku’s name as the second defendant whereas he was never a party in the case.
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Edozie and Nwoga allegedly wrote to Justices Mary Odili, Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, Mohammed Garba and Ibrahim Saulawa (who were members of the panel that delivered the judgment) to help insert Njoku’s name as the second respondent.
They were alleged to have used the some court officials to insert Njoku’s name on the judgment, which he allegedly presented to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the IGP, claiming to have been declared APGA’s National Chairman by the Supreme Court.
The duo had failed to appear in court for their arraignment on November 21.
Consequently, the judge had issued a bench warrant for their arrest, necessitating their appearance on Monday, which their counsel said was out of their own volition.
