A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered a conditional
release of two journalists working with Leadership newspaper, Tony Amokeodo and
Chibuzor Ukaibe, from the police detention, pending their arraignment on April
23.
The Federal Government had, through the police, slammed a 10-count charge bothering on conspiracy to commit felony, forgery, among others on the duo of Amokeodo and Ukaibe, alongside Leadership Group Limited.
Although the prosecutor had insisted that the arraignment should take place on Tuesday, the court refused due to the absence of the third accused, Leadership Group Limited, which had not been served with the charge.
The trial judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi, consequently adjourned the matter till April 23, with an order that the third accused should be served and that the prosecution should serve the proof of evidence, statement of claim, list of witnesses and other documents on all the accused persons.
The Federal Government had, through the police, re-arrested the duo of Amokeodo and Ukaibe on Monday and brought them to court on Tuesday for arraignment.
They were earlier arrested last week but were released.
Counsel for the accused, Samuel Ogala, from Femi Falana Chambers, told the court that the accused persons were not aware of their arraignment in court, adding that he too was only told about the arraignment on his way for another transaction.
Prosecution counsel, J. Nwadike, had earlier withdrawn the the first charge, dated April 12 and substituted it with an amended one dated April 16.
He insisted that the accused be made to take their plea but the court noticed that the third accused had not been served and hence the arraignment could not continue.
Delivering a short ruling, Justice Adeniyi held that the argument of both counsel on bail application was premature, because there had been no formal arraignment.
He, however, released the accused persons to the company secretary, Umaru Jubril, who he ordered to produce them at the next adjourned date.
The Federal Government had, through the police, slammed a 10-count charge bothering on conspiracy to commit felony, forgery, among others on the duo of Amokeodo and Ukaibe, alongside Leadership Group Limited.
Although the prosecutor had insisted that the arraignment should take place on Tuesday, the court refused due to the absence of the third accused, Leadership Group Limited, which had not been served with the charge.
The trial judge, Justice Ademola Adeniyi, consequently adjourned the matter till April 23, with an order that the third accused should be served and that the prosecution should serve the proof of evidence, statement of claim, list of witnesses and other documents on all the accused persons.
The Federal Government had, through the police, re-arrested the duo of Amokeodo and Ukaibe on Monday and brought them to court on Tuesday for arraignment.
They were earlier arrested last week but were released.
Counsel for the accused, Samuel Ogala, from Femi Falana Chambers, told the court that the accused persons were not aware of their arraignment in court, adding that he too was only told about the arraignment on his way for another transaction.
Prosecution counsel, J. Nwadike, had earlier withdrawn the the first charge, dated April 12 and substituted it with an amended one dated April 16.
He insisted that the accused be made to take their plea but the court noticed that the third accused had not been served and hence the arraignment could not continue.
Delivering a short ruling, Justice Adeniyi held that the argument of both counsel on bail application was premature, because there had been no formal arraignment.
He, however, released the accused persons to the company secretary, Umaru Jubril, who he ordered to produce them at the next adjourned date.
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Politics