Treasonable  felony : Former Imo Deputy Gov. to remain in prison custody

From  Victor Duruamaku Owerri

Following  the non-availability of the duplicated  case file of the treasonable  felonyon a three-count charges  against the former  deputy Governor of Imo state, Engr Gerald Irona, the high court sitting in Owerri the state capital could not sit for theatre to go on

The matter  which  would have  come up  on Tuesday was however postponed to a new date before the high court

Engr Irona was  on Thursday remanded in Owerri prison  by a Magistrate  Court  sitting in Owerri and presided over by Magistrate C.N Ezerioha

He was billed to be brought before the high court presided over by  justice S. I Opara on Tuesday

It was however gathered that  the  arraignment  of the former deputy Governor could not  because the matter was not enlisted in court list for the day.

The legal Adviser of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Kissinger Ikeokwu, who appeared in court for Irona disclosed that the ex deputy governor would now be arraigned today,  Wednesday 15, march 2023

He said, ” the arraignment will now take place on Wednesday. We hurriedly filed on Friday and when we got to the court on Tuesday we discovered that the arraignment will no longer take place ”

According  the  counsel, ” the matter was not enlisted in court for the day, the case file has not been brought to the court, our client will now be arraigned on Wednesday march 14, 2023″

The  Nigeria police   had on Thursday march 9,2023  arraigned the former deputy Governor before  the magistrate court on a three count charges  bordering on tresonable felony

The three count charge read” that you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did conspired 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, law 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, law 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, do converted to your own use two land cruiser jeep ( 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.”