Ekweremadu’s house raid: Court remands man in Keffi prison for giving false information

FOR giving false information that led to the raiding of the house of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, an Upper Area court sitting in Gudu in Abuja, on Tuesday ordered the remand of one, Mr Ahmed Echoda, in Keffi prison.

Echoda was earlier arraigned by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on one-count charge of criminal conspiracy and given false information to mislead public servant contrary to 97(1) and 140 of penal code law.

The one-count charge reads: “That you, Ahmed Echoda, 50, of  44, Living Truth Street Masaka, Nassarawa State and one Maiwada Adamu now at large did conspired between yourselves by informing the office of the IGP at Guzepe Area of FCT Abuja, that house 10, Gamges street Maitama, FCT, Abuja occupied by Oliver Ogbenyi is being maintained and used for criminal activities including keeping of arms and ammunitions, unfortunately, after the police carried out diligence execution of the search warrant, no incriminating items were found there. You, by such action, misled the police and hereby committed the above offences.”

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the one count charge when it was read to him in court.

The defendant who was given a chance to speak in court said the police have not proven to him how he passed false information to them.

“I neither passed a written nor verbal information to the police,” he told the court.

The defence counsel, Mr Peter Ugwuoke, then applied for bail of the defendant.

Police prosecution counsel, David Taiwo opposed the bail application reason being that the offence of the defendant is not ordinarily bailable.

“The accused may tamper with investigation since one of the accused persons is still at large

“Therefore, we are praying the court to refuse this bail application,” he said.

After listening to both parties, Chief Magistrate Umar Kagarko adjourned till June 5, 2017 for ruling on the bail application.