N3bn Agric loan suit against ex-Radio Bayelsa GM suffers setback

Hearing in the case against a former General Manager of Radio Bayelsa, Mr. John Idumange, who raised alarm over alleged diversion of N3 billion Agric loan by government officials, was stalled on Tuesday.

The case slated for hearing at a Bayelsa High Court Sagbama sitting in Yenagoa before Justice Ebiyerin Omukoro suffered a setback as it was not heard.

Although the case was listed on the day’s cause list, and counsels on both sides present, there was an indication on the list that the case has been reassigned by the Chief Judge of Bayelsa, Justice Kate Abiri.

No reason was given for transfer of the case from Omukoro who had granted bail to Idumange and vacated a 30 day detention order obtained by the Police to detain Idumange for 30 days pending conclusion of investigations.

However court records seen at the court registry indicate that the reassignment was sequel to a written request to Chief Judge by Biriyai Sambo, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice.

Sambo had expressed doubt over Omukoro’s fairness as he vacated the remand order by a lower court and granted Idumange bail without hearing the opposition to the bail application.

Six days after his arrest and detention, Idumange on March 15 got a reprieve as a Bayelsa High Court vacated the order for his detention by a magistrate court.

Idumange, a former General Manager of Radio Bayelsa who alleged that officials of Bayelsa government diverted a N3 billion Agric loan was arrested on March 10 and charged to court the next day.

Some officials of the Bayelsa government had reported to the Police that Idumange had made seditious publications that maligned their persons in his claims.

The former general manager of the state-owned Broadcasting Corporation, Glory FM, was arrested at the gate of Royal FM, a radio station based in, Agudama, in Yenagoa where he was expected to speak on the his allegations of diversion of the Agric loan.