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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
An Owerri Magistrates’ Court, yesterday, remanded the immediate past deputy governor, Gerald Irona, to the Owerri Correctional facility.
The three count charge preferred against the former deputy governor by the Imo State government, read, “that you, Hon. Gerald Irona, sometime in January 2020, at Owerri, in the Owerri magistrate district, did conspire with others, now at large, to commit felony to wit: treason and, thereby, committed an offence punishable under section 37(2) of the criminal code, cap c 38, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo State.
“That you, Hon. Gerald Irona, sometime in January 2020, at Owerri, in the Owerri magistrate district, did make several utterances to the effect that you will make Imo State ungovernable and, immediately afterwards, hoodlums levied several attacks on Imo State with intent to intimidate or overawe the governor of Imo State and, thereby, committed an offence punishable under section 37 of the criminal code, cap, c 38, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.
“That you, Hon. Gerald Irona. on the 15th day of January, 2020, at Owerri, in the Owerri magistrate district, did convert to your own use two Land Cruiser SUVs (V8 and v6) and one Toyota Hilux vehicle valued four hundred and ninety three million naira, property of Imo State government, thereby committed an offence punishable under section 390 ( 9) of the criminal code, cap c 38, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.”
The presiding magistrate, C. N Ezerioha, after hearing the prosecution counsel and defence counsel, ordered that Irona be remanded in Owerri Correctional Centre. She said she lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
Counsel to the ex-deputy governor, S. I Imo, had moved a motion after the arraignment of Irona, that he should be granted bail on self recognition. Imo said if the ex-deputy governor could not be granted bail on self recognition, a state lawmaker, Frank Ugboma, representing Oguta state constituency was willing to take him on bail.
But the lead prosecutor, Sunday Ogbuji, opposed the bail application, saying that the magistrate lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter. Apart from that, the lead prosecutor said one of the charges preferred on the ex-deputy governor was a felony. Ogbuji said only a judge of a High Court could grant Irona bail.
After listening to the argument of both parties, the magistrate ordered that the ex-deputy governor be remanded in prison custody.
In her ruling, the magistrate agreed with the prosecution counsel that she lacked the jurisdiction to entertain the matter or grant the accused bail. The magistrate, while ordering that Irona be remanded in Owerri correctional centre, said the prosecution counsel should make all documents available to the defence counsel, to enable them take the next legal line of action. She also ordered that the case file be transferred to the state Department of Public Prosecutions.
However, addressing journalists after the court session, one of the defence counsels, Mr Kissinger Ikeokwu, and the Imo PDP Legal Adviser expressed optimism that the ex-deputy governor would be granted bail at the High Court. Ikeokwu, said Irona’s ordeal was politically contrived. He said the state governor, Hope Uzodinma, was using state powers to intimidate opposition figureheads in the state.
Operatives of Imo State police command had, yesterday, arrested Irona at his Owerri residence, a development that had created tension in the state, as the Imo PDP alleging that the state government was planning to assassinate him in police custody, as when he was denied bail even after fulfilling all the conditions.
