Absence of case file stalls arraignment of Imo ex-deputy governor

By: Johnkennedy Uzoma – Owerri

The arraignment of the immediate past deputy governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona, before Owerri high court was on Tuesday stalled over absence of case file in court.

Engr. Irona, who was remanded in Owerri prison custody by a Magistrate in Owerri, C.N Ezerioha, was billed to be arraigned before justice S. I Opara of Owerri high court on Tuesday but the proposed arraignment could not take place.

Tribune Online learnt that the arraignment could not go on because the matter was not enlisted in court’s registry for the day.

The situation made Irona’s team of lawyers who appeared in court disappointed after they were informed that the arraignment could not go on because the case file had not been brought to the court.

The legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, Kissinger Ikeokwu, who appeared in court for Irona disclosed that the ex-deputy governor would now be arraigned on Wednesday.

Ikeokwu said “the arraignment will now take place on Wednesday. We hurriedly filed on Friday and when we got to the court on Tuesday we discovered that the arraignment will no longer take place today. The matter was not enlisted in court for the day. The case file has not been brought to the court. He will now be arraigned on Wednesday.”

The police in the state had on Thursday arraigned Irona at Owerri magistrate court on a three court bothering on treason, confiscation of the state government property and alleged statements to overthrow the governor of the state.

After listening to an application to grant Irona bail and a counter bail application, the magistrate declined the bail request and ordered that Irona be reminded in Owerri prison custody.

The three count charge read” that you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did conspired with others now at large, to commit felony to wit: treason and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37(2) of the criminal code, cap c 38, law of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.

“That you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did make several utterances to the effect that you will make Imo state ungovernable and immediately afterwards hoodlums levied several attacks on Imo state with intent to intimidate or overawe the governor of Imo state and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37 of the criminal code, cap, c 38, law of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.

“That you Hon Gerald Irona on the 15th day of January, 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, do converted to your own use two land cruiser jeep (V8 and v6) and one Toyota Hilux vehicle valued four hundred and Ninety three million naira property of Imo state government thereby committed an offence punishable under section 390 ( 9) of the criminal code, cap c 38, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.”

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