Court decides Sept. 27 whether AGF has taken over the prosecution of ex-Gov. Ohakim for threatening a woman life.
A counsel, Bagudu Sani, from the chamber of Attorney general of the Federation and Minister of Justice on Thursday told the Federal High Court Abuja that the AGF has take over the prosecution of former Governor of Imo state Ikedi Ohakim for threatening the life of one Mrs Chinyere Amuchienwa.
The decision of the AGF is coming after the Nigeria police which initiated the charge against Ohakim applied to the court to discontinue the case.
When the matter came up yesterday, a counsel from the AGF Office, Bagudu Sani, told the court that the Police who filed the charge against Ohakim had transferred the case file to the office of the AGF after filing a notice of discontinuance in the matter
Consequent upon that, Bagudu said the AGF filed an affidavit of compliance on July 2, 2021.
In her argument against the application by the AGF to take over the matter, Police lawyer, Rufus Dimka said the Police filed a complainant/applicant’s counter affidavit on March 30, 2021.
While adopting the 25 paragraphs affidavit deposed to by Insp. Joshua Yohana of the Legal Section of the Nigeria Police, Dimka urged the court to grant the notice of discontinuance and strike out the charge.
However, Emeka Etiaba (SAN), representing the former governor opposed the request by the AGF to take over the matter.
He prayed the court to dismiss the application by the AGF, adding that the content of the affidavit of compliance by the office of the AGF do not, in anyway affects the consequence of the notice of withdrawal of the charge against the former governor and urged the court to strike out the charge.
After listening to submissions by parties, Justice Taiwo adjourned till September 27, 2021 to rule on the application.
Police had in the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CS/287/2020, cited the former governor and one Chinedu Okpareke as Defendants.
The Defendants were alleged to have threatened to release a nude photograph of Amuchienwa if she fails to drop charges of attempted kidnap against them.
In the five-count charge dated November 25, 2020, Police alleged that Ohakim and Okpareke, knowingly and intentionally transmitted communication through a computer system to harass and bully Amuchienwa, an offence that is punishable under Section 24(1)(a) of the Cybercrime Act 2015.