A criminal trial has been launched against Ikedi Ohakim, former governor of Imo state, for fraud and false information.
Ohakim served as Imo state governor from 2007 to 2011.
In a three-count criminal charge, marked CR/993/2020 and filed before an Abuja high court, the office of the Inspector-General of Police alleged Ohakim used the name of the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, to perpetrate fraud against unsuspecting Nigerians.
Further, the prosecution are accusing the former governor of claiming in his statement to the police that he gave Lady Chinyere Lilian Amuchienwa the sum of N100 million for his governorship in 2019, which he could not prove in the statement.
The three-count charge against Ohakim, signed by Mr Stanley Nwodo read:
‘That you Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 23rd day of May 2019 at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully gave false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa, that she threatened you with gun knowing it to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.
”That you Ikedi Ohakim, on or about the 23rd day of May 2019, at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully gave false information against one Chinyere Amuchienwa, that you have a plot of land for sale at Lagos state, knowing it to be false and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.
‘That you Ikedi Ohakim on or about the 23rd day of May 2019 at Asokoro, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did unlawfully used derogatory the name of Raji Fashola as the owner of the purported land situated at Ikeja, Lagos state and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 140 of the Penal Code Law of the Northern Nigeria, 1968.’
In a related development, an Upper Area Court sitting in Mpape, Abuja, has sentenced one Kingsley Ogam, who is said to be working for the former Governor to eight months in prison with an option of N30,000 fine.
In the charge marked CR/496/2020, Ogam was sentenced to prison on September 24, 2020.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), Ogam was arraigned before the court for defamation of character, injurious falsehood and criminal intimidation.
The prosecution said the offence is punishable under Section 392, 393 and 397 of the Penal Code Law.
Ogam was said to have defamed the character of Lady Chinyere Lilian Amuchienwa.
He was sentenced to prison by Mohammad Maraca after he pleaded guilty to the charges against him.
The court also ordered him to write an apology letter to Amuchienwa.
The judge instructed that Kingsley Ogam should tender an apology to lady Amuchienwa of which she rejected.
Also, a certain Chinedu Opereke was arrested alongside Kingsley Ogam and was remanded in Suleja prison by the court.
The former Governor was also supposed to be arraigned before the Upper Area Court for conspiracy.
He was invited on September 10 by the police in relation to a petition against him by Lady Amuchienwa, over alleged defamation of character, injurious falsehood and criminal intimidation.
But rather than honouring his invitation, Ohakim rushed to a high court in Imo State for the enforcement of his fundamental human rights.
In the application filed at the High Court of Justice of Imo state, with suit number HON/717/2020, he asked for an order of the court stopping the police from inviting, arresting and detaining him.
After listening to the motion, Justice VI Onyeka granted the order.
However, a thorough look at the document shows that the motion was filed on September 10, 2020, assigned same day and the order granted the same day.
