I prepared charms for govs, prominent persons, herbalist confesses

THE trial of six persons charged with kidnapping and murder, yesterday, at an Ogidi Magistrate Court in Idemili local government area of Anambra State, took a dramatic twist as one of the suspects, a native doctor, denied preparing charms for criminals but governors and other prominent people in the society.

The suspect, Chukwunonso Okerulu, even boasted that he had bought many cars and built houses from proceeds earned working for governors.

He said: “Our people even gave me chieftaincy title when they found out after administering native oath on me that my hands are clean.

“I am a native doctor, a trade which I have practiced for more than 20 years and I have many cars and big buildings all over the places, even governors visit my shrine,” the suspect told the court.

Pandemonium had earlier trailed trial of the six suspects as villagers stormed the court premises to hear the case, causing anxiety and stampede.

As early as 8.30 am, residents of the community had thronged the court to hear the matter in connection with the murder of two security guards and kidnapping of one, Dr. Reuben Okwosa in December last year.

The atmosphere became tensed when the accused persons were called to the dock by the court clerk and the 8-count charge read to them.

The six persons standing trial over murder of two security guards attached to KP Pharmaceutical at Ogidi, Idemili North local government area, as well as kidnap of Dr. Reuben Okwosa, had allegedly collected N5.5 million ransom.

Those arraigned were Emmanuel Caesar Nwabunne ‘m’ 32, Edward Nwoye ‘m’ 50, Ifeanyi Nwafor, ‘M’ 48 years, Chukwunonso Okerulu, ‘m’ 37 Anthony Aghaonu, ‘m’ 41 and Vincent Aghanou, ‘m’ 25 years who were being accused of masterminding the murder and kidnap of the medical doctor.

The accused persons were also standing trial for murder of one Godwin Mendu who was a security guard at KP Pharmaceuticals, when they allegedly struck at an end of year party being organised for the chairman of the company, Dr. Reuben Okwosa, who was kidnapped in the process.

One of the lawyers to the accused persons, Mr. Peremine Oseme, who appeared for the 1st, 5th and 6th accused persons, said his clients were merely arraigned by the prosecutors on mere suspicion.

Oseme noted that since his clients were not seen at the scene of the crime but arrested while drinking at a beer palour for allegedly waving at the Sports Utility Vehicle, SUV, that was used by the kidnappers to kidnap the victim, it was a mere suspicion.

Miss. Genevieve Nwosu who appeared for the 4th accused, said the prosecutors had not been able to establish their case, adding that “to arrest my client because they waved at a moving vehicle was laughable”

However, the prosecuting counsel , Mr. Ebitemu Orifu, said the suspects were arrested in connection with the crime, adding that there was enough evidence to prosecute them.

The presiding Magistrate, Phil Ebosia, said the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter and ordered that the accused persons be remanded in prison custody.

He also directed the prosecuting counsel to collect all certified copies of relevant documents for onward presentation to the state Attorney General.

While the accused were being taken away by armed policemen, there was anguish and wailing from mainly women who said the suspects were innocent of the crime.

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C/River Speaker Sworn In As Acting Governor

The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Right Hon. Larry Odey has been sworn-in as the acting governor of Cross River State.

Hon. Odey was sworn-in by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Dorothy Iyamba Idem following the sack of Governor Liyel Imoke and four other governors in the country by the supreme court on Friday over tenure elongation.

Odey 51, was born in Ugaga in Yala local government area of the state and represents Yala state constituency in the House. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History/Education in 1985 from the University of Port Harcourt and Masters in Public Administration as well as Masters of Science in International Relations both from the University of Calabar in 2005 and 2010 respectively.

Speaking shortly after taken the oath of office and allegiance, Odey in a sober mood said, ”We are all aware of the circumstances that brought us here, the supreme court judgment, it is a sober moment for us. All things being equal, we thank God and have confidence that INEC will come up with a time table for us to re-elect our principal, Senator Imoke, so that he can come and occupy his seat”

He recalled that Senator was removed from office in 2008 and was re-elected and that make the party more stronger than what it was.

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Supreme Court sacks 5 Nigerian governors

A seven- man panel of the Supreme Court in a unanimous decision this morning sacked Governors Liyel Imoke, Murtala Nyako, Ibrahim Idris, Wamako and Temipre Silva of Cross River, Adamawa, Kogi, Sokoto and Bayelsa states from office.

The court in Abuja held that the tenures of the governors started to count from the time they took their oath of office after emerging winners in their respective state governorship elections in 2007 and not from the period they took their second oaths of office after emerging winners of the re-run elections when there initial elections were nullified.

A Federal High Court had earlier held that their tenures of office started to run from their later oaths of office and oath of allegiance which they took upon their emergence as winners of their respective re run elections.

The apex court held that the trial court as well as the Court of Appeal erred in law when the considered the actions taken by the respective governors before their elections were nullified by the various Election Petition Tribunals as valid on one hand while discounting the time they spent doing those valid actions from their constitutionally prescribed tenure of office.

180. (1) subject to the provisions of this Constitution, a person shall hold the office of Governor of a State until -

(a) When his successor in office takes the oath of that office; or

(b) he dies whilst holding such office; or

(c) the date when his resignation from office takes effect; or

(d) he otherwise ceases to hold office in accordance with the provisions of this constitution.

In reaching their decision, the Supreme Court relied on section 180 (2) of the Constitution wherein the tenure of office of Governors were prescribed and held that that section did not envisage any form of elongation of occupants of the office of the Governor of the state as well as that of the President.

The section reads:

180 (2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the Governor shall vacate his office at the expiration of period of four years commencing from the date when -

(a) in the case of a person first elected as Governor under this Constitution, he took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office; and

(b) the person last elected to that office took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office or would, but for his death, have taken such oaths.

The court held that the provisions of that section of the Constitution will stand violated if the tenure of office of the Governors is calculated from their second taking of Oath of Office and the Oath of Allegiance and stated that their tenure started counting from their first Oath of office which they all took after they were declared winners of the April 2007 elections and that they are entitled to four year terms from that date.

The court also rapped the Peoples Democratic party for attempting to abort the hearing of the matter at the court through their preliminary objections filed against all the consolidated appeals. The party had argued that the subject matter of the appeals have become academic and should be dismissed.

While dismissing the PDP’s preliminary objections, the apex court maintained that the matter is of grave constitutional importance whose subject matter is still alive and cannot be truncated on the grounds of mere technicalities.

In countering the decisions of the Federal High Court and that of the Court of Appeal, the apex court asserted that the provision of the law did not envisage an indefinite occupation of office by a Governor and did not also envisage re run elections, left alone one to be won by the same person.

It went on to hold that since acions of these governors, like contracts awarded by them, Commissioners and Special Assistants appointed by them as well as Budgets and Bills signed into law by them remained valid and subsisting when their election were annulled, that it followed that upon emerging winners of their respective re run elections, and having to take another Oaths of Office and Allegiance which is a standard procedure before they can function as Governors, that their tenure begins to count from that first oaths they took in 2007 and not the second ones they took in 2008 after their victories in the re-run elections.

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