The immediate past media aide to the Speaker of Imo State House of Assembly Citizen Ikenna Samuelson Iwuoha and his wife Mrs. Chioma Samuelson Iwuoha have been charged to the Magistrate’s Court 1 sitting in Owerri for the murder of one Franklin Okoli.
During the arraignment of the couple, their counsel Barr. Emperor Iwuala who led four other lawyers to represent the two accused persons in the case observed that the police knew that the Magistrate Court does not have the jurisdiction to entertain murder cases but only came to the court to get the couple remanded in prison custody.
The presiding Magistrate Mrs. Vicky Isiguzo also remarked that her court lacked the jurisdiction to entertain a murder case.
However, while making an order to remand the couple in the Federal Prisons Owerri, the magistrate directed the police counsel Mr. B. Wuelor who appeared for the Commissioner of Imo State to forward the case file to the Director for Public Prosecution (DPP) Imo State for further action.
The case was adjourned to the 15th August 2014 for DPP’s report.
Speaking to the press after the court proceedings, Barr. Iwuala said that adequate arrangements were being made for the case file to get to the state DPP as quickly as possible. He also stated that application for the bail of the couple would be made to the High Court accordingly.
Also speaking to newsmen, Mr. Iwuoha said that the speaker of the Imo State house of Assembly Rt. Hon. Benjamin Uwajumogu and Governor Rochas Okorocha were the brain behind his woes. He said that one of the days while in police custody, that one of the speaker’s aide came to the police handling the matter probably to influence the case. He also accused the Commissioner of Police of allowing himself to be influenced by the Imo State Government. He observed that when he noticed the alleged complexity in the matter, he wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police (I.G.P.) to take-over the case. He said that the I.G.P. sent his men to Owerri to take over the investigation of the matter.
Continuing Mr. Iwuoha said that the Imo State Police Command told the police from the I.G.P. to give them time to transfer the case only to rush the case to the court so as to avoid compliance to I.G.P.’s directive.
