A former Imo Governor Ikedi Ohakim was on Wednesday arraigned before a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Maitama for allegedly giving false information to the police.
In the charge marked CR/993/2020, filed in the name of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ohakim was alleged to have given false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa.
Ohakim, who served as Imo Governor between 2007 and 2011, was alleged to have lied that the Amuchienwa threatened him with a gun, and equally made a false claim that he had a plot of land for sale in Lagos State.
He was alleged to have unlawfully dropped the name of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, as owner of the purported land situated at Ikeja, Lagos state.
Ohakim was said to have committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.
The ex-governor pleaded not guilty when the three-count charge was read to him.
His lawyer, Ken Njemanze (SAN), later applied for bail and prayed the court to release the defendant pending the conclusion of trial.
Prosecution’s lawyer, Stanley Nwodo, opposed the bail application, claiming that Ohakim would interfere with some of their witnesses.
Nwodo said the defendant ignored several invitations, forcing the police to issue warrants of arrest against him.
Ruling, Justice Samira Bature granted bail to Ohakim at N10million with one surety in like sum.
Justice Bature ordered that the surety must be a reputable person in the society with a verifiable address within the FCT
The judge ordered the Ohakim not to interfere with any of the prosecution’s witnesses, warning that such conduct would force the court to revoke his bail.
The case was subsequently adjourned till January 25, 2021 for trial.
The charges read: ”That you Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the the 23rd day of May, 2019 at Asokoro, 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, 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, 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.”