FEAR GRIPS IKPEAZU’S CAMP AS APPEAL COURT DELIVERS JUDGMENT SEPT 23

Tension has gripped Abia state over the impending judgment of a five man panel of the Court of the Appeal sitting over appeals arising from the tax forgery suit instituted against Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu by a chieftain of the PDP in the state, Sir Friday Nwosu.

Nwosu who contested the December 8, 2014 PDP governorship primaries in Abia state, had filed a suit accusing Ikpeazu of submitting forged tax documents and false information to his party and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). But the Federal High Court, Owerri presided over by Justice Lewis Allagoa, on July 8, said Nwosu failed to prove a tax forgery suit against the governor, but was silent on the issue of false information. Justice Allagoa further stated that Ikpeazu was not the maker of the tax documents.

But in a move which shocked keen observers of the tax forgery suit, Ikpeazu last week, lodged an appeal against some aspects of the judgment on which he secured victory in court.

It was gathered that the panel headed by Justice R.C. Agbo which had directed all parties to file and exchange all processes on or before Monday 19th September, is set deliver judgment on Friday September 23, 2016.

A source at the Abia Government House told our correspondent that Gov. Ikpeazu’s camp had been restless as they advance efforts to ensure the judgment goes in their favour. According to the source, the governor has constituted a ‘contact team’ which includes a prominent Abia Senator ,Chairman of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers and a famous oil marketer to reach out to the length and breadth of the community.

“Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu is not giving anything to chance in this case; he has constituted a team to reach out to all parts of the country to ensure that the judgment goes in his favour. They have been making contacts and running from one community to the other across the country looking for how to reach the Judges of the panel. The governor is worried over the constitution of the new five man panel of the court of Appeal to hear and deliver judgment on the matter.”

Close associates of the governor had earlier boasted that the appeals filed by Nwosu would not be heard till the end of Ikpeazu’s administration. But the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa last week, set up the Justice Agbo panel to hear and deliver judgment on the matter which had suffered several delays despite being a pre election suit which ought to have been decided before the governorship election.

It is believed that the Supreme Court might be waiting on the conclusion of the appeal to consolidate it with other appeals arising from the June 27th verdict of the Federal High Court 10 delivered by Justice Okon Abang which sacked Ikpeazu, but was later reversed by another five man panel of the Court of Appeal headed by Justice Morenike Ogunwumiju.

Source: Abia Facts News

Police rescue abducted baby in Umuahia

 

 The Commissioner of Police in Abia, Mr Leye Oyebade on Wednesday said that men of the command had rescued a 15-month-old baby girl allegedly stolen from her mother. Oyebade, who said this while briefing newsmen on some of the major achievements of the command, noted that the baby was stolen on Monday in Umuahia.

He said that the suspected abductors, identified as Lawan Nuhu and Lawal Ahmed, took away the little Chinonye after drugging her mother, Mrs Chioma Chijindu at their residence at No. 8 Ohafia Street, Umuahia.

He said that the suspects were arrested following a tip off, while N170,000 cash and  a 307 Peugeot car with Reg. No. AZ 166 KWL, were recovered from them.

“During investigation, the suspects confessed that they drugged the baby’s mother before escaping with the baby,” Oyebade said.

 He warned parents to be vigilant about the activities of their neighbours and strangers in their areas.

The police commissioner also said that no fewer than 12 other people were arrested in connection with alleged criminal activities, including vandalism, armed robbery and car snatching.

According to him, three suspected vandals, identified as Obirinachi Chijioke, Chigoziem Okereke

and Ikemsinachi Okereke, were arrested in Obikabia in Obingwa Local Government Area, following a distress call from a resident.

Oyebade said that they were arrested while they were allegedly vandalising electricity transformer belonging to the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company.

“My men moved in and arrested the three suspects but two escaped,’’.

According to him, the police are on the trail of two other suspects still at large.

He said that the police had also arrested Joseph Godwin, who resides at Ogwo Road, off Ohanku Road, Aba, for allegedly killing his neighbour, Joel Effiong, a businessman in Aba on August 31.

He said that all the suspects currently in police custody would be charged to court at the end of ongoing investigations by the police.

Oyebade said that the command also arrested Ugorji Uche and Okoronkwo Chibuike, natives of Atani in Arochukwu, for allegedly stealing a Mitsubushi L300 bus with Reg. No. ATN 607 ZK.

He said that the vehicle belonged to Jeremiah Igwe of Obosi in Anambra state, adding that the suspects had been transferred to Anambra state police command for further action.

The commissioner of police expressed delight over the exploit of his men and commended residents of the state for assisting the command with useful information.

He promised that the command would not rest on its oars until crime and criminality had been “reduced to the barest minimum in the state’’.

“This is the reason my men have been working round the clock to checkmate the activities of criminals in the state,” Oyebade said.

 He listed items recovered from the suspects to include different kinds of arms and ammunition, electronic gadgets such as plasma television sets, tricycles and weeds suspected to be Indian hemp. 

Source: The nation