It has been revealed that four persons who were arrested at the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Imo State Council along Port Hacourt Road, Owerri, by the police were sent to the Owerri Correctional Center at the instance of Magistrate Tochi Agumanu without arraignment and trial.
This was disclosed to members of the union when they went to the Officer in charge of Legal Services at the headquarters of the Imo State Police Command to ascertain why the police stormed the secretariat and arrested 4 persons, who they promptly sent to prison without investigation, even before the arrival of the Imo NUJ executive.
The OC Legal who exonorated himself from the issue, stated that he acted on a Court Order issued by the Magistrate who described those arrested in her order as unknown persons should be sent to prison for a period of 1 month adding that there is no way he would have arrested and sent the 4 people to prison without a Court Order.
According him,It was on this basis that the police stormed the union’s secretariat with nine armed operatives, and a Bailieff,one Onyekachi Uba who identified those he said were not friendly with and sent them to prison without trial, a development that contravenes an earlier directive of the High Court that gave the judgment that is being enforced by the Magistrate Court.
The High court Judge who stayed execution of her judgement by reason of hearing the suite filed by members of the Imo state Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists,NUJ to contest what the Union described as Judgement obtained by fraud had told the parties to maintain status quo pending her ruling on the application.
Speaking with a Senior Lawyer in Imo who doesnt want his name in print,he described the action of the Magistrate as strange.He said,”if you are charging someone for contempt of court outside the Court,the person should be brought to court for arraignment except when the offence for which the person is being charged is done in court.
By the way,which Judgement are we even talking about?A Judgement by a High court.Why the desperation to execute it even when the Honarable Judge had fixed a date for ruling on the application brought to her by the NUJ who are the Occupants of the Secretriat that they attempted to sell.
“It is also strange that a Magistrate could issue an order against unknown persons without making effort to ascertain who are the unknown persons.What that means is that the Bailief who carried out the execution Order,could identify any person on the streets of Owerri and send him to Prison,whereby victimizing innocent people”.
He also noted that executing a Judgement of a High court by a Magistrate,the said Magistrate ought to have taken a step to ascertain if the Judgement delivered by the Judge is in contest or has gone to appeaal.Where that happens,it raises some questions which only the Magistrate can answer.
There are also reports that the Anglican Priest, Rev’d Engr. Godson Nlemchukwu who is alleged to be former Governor Rochas Okorocha’s proxy in the fraudulent purchase of the Imo NUJ Secretariat has been quoted as saying that he has all it takes to get whatever he wants from the system because he has the necessary contacts in the corridors of power. This, according to him, makes it possible for him to disobey court directives without any consequence, in addition to doing whatever he wants.
When contacted for comment, the Chairman of then Press Center Management committee,Comrade Austin Agwulonu, said the union is shocked by what is happening but as law abiding citizens, who have confidence in the ability of the judiciary to dispense justice equitably, they approached the court as the last hope of the common man.
“I don’t want to dwell much on the matter that is already before the High court but at the apporopriate time, the union will call a spade a spade”.
