Barring any last-minute changes, a former Governor of Imo State, Chief Ikedi Ohakim, will on Wednesday, November 11, be arraigned before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), on a three-count criminal charge filed against him by the Inspector-General of Police.
The former governor is also facing defamation charge before Justice Ihuoma Chukwunyere of the High Court of Imo State.
Already, a hearing notice (Form 2), for his arraignment on the criminal charge in Abuja, has been issued pursuant to Order 3 rule 7 of the FCT High Court.
The summons dated October 30, 2020, has commanded his the appearance in court number 32 presided over by Justice S U Bature of the Maitama division of the court for arraignment.
The Police alleged in the charge marked, FCT/HC/CR/993/2020, that Ohakim, who was governor of Imo state from 2007 to 2011, gave false information against Lady Chinyere Amuchienwa.
The prosecuting agency further alleged that the erstwhile governor lied that the lady threatened him with a gun, and equally made a false claim that he had a plot of land for sale in Lagos.
The three-count charge singed by Mr Stanley Nwodo of the Force Legal Department dated September 23, 2020, the office of the Inspector General of Police also accused Ohakim of using the name of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), to defraud unsuspecting Nigerians.
In addition, the prosecution alleged that Ohakim claimed in his statement to the police that he gave Lady Chinyere Lilian Amuchienwa the sum of N100 million for his governorship in 2019, which he could not prove in the statement.
Earlier attempts by the police to arraign the former Imo state Chief executive in court on similar charges were unsuccessful.
The three-count charge against Ohakim, signed by Mr Stanley Nwodo read:
“That you Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 23rd day of May 2019 at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully gave false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa, that she threatened you with gun knowing it to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.”
“That you Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 23rd day of May 2019, at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully gave false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa, that you have a plot of land for sale at Lagos state, knowing it to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.‘
“That you Ikedi Ohakim on or about the 23rd day of May 2019 at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully used derogatory the name of Raji Fashola as the owner of the purported land situated at Ikeja, Lagos state and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.”
