Alleged threat to former Gov Ohakim’s life: AGF takes over prosecution of Abuja businesswoman

The trial of an Abuja-based businesswoman, Chinyere Igwegbe, for alleged criminal intimidation, blackmail, and threat to life of a former Imo State governor, Ikedi Ohakim, before the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) could not hold again on Wednesday as the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami SAN, took over her prosecution.

Igwebe was on July 22 arraigned before Justice Yusuf Halilu, sitting at Maitama, Abuja, on a four-count charge bordering on providing false information to the police by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP).

Following a petition to the IGP by the former governor, accusing Igwegbe of blackmailing him and defaming his character, she was arrested and detained by the police before being arraigned before the court.

The police alleged that the woman failed to substantiate her allegations of criminal conspiracy, intimidation, defamation of character, attempted kidnapping, and threat to her life in her petition against Ohakim.

She, however, pleaded not guilty and was admitted to bail by the court.

The case could not go on at the last sitting on November 4, when Ohakim was scheduled to give evidence for the prosecution due to two conflicting letters emanating from the AGF’s office.

While one of the letters indicated that the AGF had the interest to take over Igwebe’s prosecution, the other, however, stated that the AGF did not express such desire.

The development forces Justice Halilu to adjourn the case to December 8 to enable parties to go and resolve the issue.

At the resumption of the case today, a lawyer from the AGF’s office, Bagudu Sanni, informed the court that the AGF had taken over the case and would need time to study the file.

However, counsel for the defendant, Ifeanyi Nwese, made an oral application urging the court to dismiss the case.

The prosecuting counsel, Royshang Dimka, in a letter she sent to the court informed that she was on a special police training course outside the court’s jurisdiction.

While granting the application for adjournment, Justice Halilu warned that the case should be handled diligently.

He, however, refused the oral application made by the defence counsel for the dismissal of the case, holding that such application must be made formally.

The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to February 10, 2021, for trial.

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