The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of an Abuja-based businessman, Paul Ozigbu at the Correctional Center over allegation of forgery, criminal conspiracy and illegal conversion of properties.
Ozigbu who was arraigned before Justice Okon Abang on a 12-count charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/239/2020, pleaded not guilty to all the charges when read out to him.
Having pleaded not guilty, the prosecution counsel, J Nwadike prayed the court to fix a date for commencement of trial and to also remand the defendant in prison custody.
In his response, counsel to the defendant, Hope Ejiofor informed the court of a bail application for the defendant dated November 23, 2020.
However, in a short ruling, the trial Judge, said he has no jurisdiction to entertain the bail application filed before the arraignment of the defendant.
The judge said, the court has jurisdiction only to entertain bail application that is filed after the arraignment of a defendant.
He said: “The bail application dated November 23 is incompetent and thereby struck out.”
Abang said the defendant’s counsel ought to have argued the bail application orally instead of filing it before arraignment.
He therefore ordered that the defendant be remanded at the Correctional Center until February 3, 2021, when the trial will commence or pending when a new bail application is filed.
The defendant was accused in the 12-count charge of conniving with others at large to forge a document of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) using a forged signature of late Engr. Ike Hillary Ozigbu and using same to effect the change of directors of the company, known as Ozigbu Engineering Company Limited.
He was also alleged to have illegally converted the property and assets of late Hillary Ike Ozigbu within Nigeria and overseas to himself.
In one of the counts, he was said to have converted 67 hectares of land in Imo State and another 109 hectares of land at Eleme, Rivers State to himself, thereby denying other of his siblings the legitimate shares of their father’s property.
The defendant was also accused of using a forged power of attorney to obtain the sum of N40 million and to have, in 2014 used the forged document to obtain a property worth N5 billion said to belong to Ozigbu Engineering Limited.
He was said in another count charge to have obtained heavy-duty equipment worth N5 billion belonging to the late father’s company.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
ICYMI: Nigeria Back Into Recession, Worst Since 1987
Nigeria is back into a recession. This time, it is the worst the country has experienced since 1987…
ICYMI: Why We Can’t Call Off Strike Now –ASUU
It is still uncertain whether the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will end soon as the president of the union, Professor ‘Biodun Ogunyemi has said there are certain steps to be taken to reach a final conclusion on the issue…