48hrs to election, Court remands Rivers federal lawmaker to prison custody

The Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Port Harcourt, yesterday, remanded the lawmaker representing Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon Ephraim Nwuzi, to the Nigerian Correctional Centre.

Nwuzi, who is also All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Representatives candidate for Etche/Omuma constituency, was accused by the Nigeria Police Force to inciting violence in a trending video.

Speaking to newsmen after the court session, Counsel to the federal lawmaker, Chief Emenike Ebete, said the offences preferred against his client were insufficient to warrant a remand.

“The offences preferred against him include: treasonable felony, conspiracy, inciting violence, promotion of communal crisis, conspiracy and that they are investigating him. They want the court to remand him in correctional centre pending investigations.

“We have also submitted to the court that the offences disclosed in the particulars and affidavit attached were not sufficient enough for him to be remanded.

“The court in its wisdom held that the offences are grevious and that he should be remanded in prison custody till March 3, 2023, pending when a charge will be preferred against him by the state.”

Meanwhile, the Supervising Assistant Inspector-General of Police deployed to the state for the elections duty, AIG Abutu Yaro, has assured officials and Ad Hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, foreign and local observers, voters, and all other stakeholders in the elections of adequate security before, during, and after the general election.

He also urged all contestants and political parties to exercise caution while calling on residents to call the police to report all suspicious activities and persons during the course of the elections.

(TNT)