It is more trouble for a factional leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Edozie Njoku as a High Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting at Bwari issued a bench warrant for his arrest.
Njoku and one Chukwuemeka Nwoga are been charged with alleged forgery of a Supreme Court judgment as well as the letterheaded paper of retired Justice Mary Peter-Odili.
In his ruling on Monday, the Justice Mohammed Madugu-led court directed the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies in the country to arrest the APGA chieftain for allegedly forging a judgement of the Supreme Court.
Justice Madugu, ordered that Chief Njoku and his alleged accomplice, Chukwuemeka Nwoga, should be arrested and produced in court on November 28 to face a 14-count criminal charge.
Two counts in the charge against the defendants, marked CR/12/2022, and dated October 21, read, “That you, Chief Edozie Njoku and Chukwuemeka Nwoga, on or about June 30, 2022 in Abuja and others now at large dishonesty and deliberately forged the judgment of the Supreme Court of Nigeria in suit number: SC/CV/686/2021, with the name of Chief Edozie Njoku as the 2nd respondents, knowing that he was not a party to the case, using same as a genuine judgment of the court with intent to mislead members of the public and ridiculing the judicial system of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, hereby committed an offence punishable under section 366 penal code law.
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“That you Chief Edozie Njoku on or about July 18, 2022 and about 10.30am at the Force Headquarters of Nigeria Police Force, Area 11, Abuja and other places paraded and personating yourself as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance which you know the act to be false and criminal, thereby committing an offence which is punishable under section 179 of the penal code.”
Earlier, the prosecution lawyer, Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Rimamsonte Ezekiel, informed the court that the defendants have been served and are aware of their arraignment today (Monday) but did not show up in court.
He, therefore, prayed the court to issue the bench warrant to enable security agencies to arrest the defendants and compel their appearance to defend the allegations against them.
However, a lawyer that appeared for the defendants, Mr Panam Ntui, urged the court to refuse the application for a bench warrant.
He told the court that the 1st defendant, Chief Njoku, travelled to Imo state, hence his inability to appear for trial.
Ntui pleaded for a short adjournment, stressing that though the defendants were yet to be personally served with the charge as required by law, they instructed him to appear in the matter as a mark of respect they have for the court.
The nominal complainant, APGA and Victor Oye, represented by Stephen Nwoga, told the court that Njoku is in Abuja and not Imo State, explaining to the court that Njoku held a press conference in Abuja on Thursday wherein he insulted the Supreme Court and the police, claiming that the charge before the High Court is frivolous.