Mr. Chizorom Ofoegbu, popularly known as Ijele Speaks’, bail was Friday stalled, following the absence of Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna
The social media influencer who has been facing trial over alleged criminal intimidation, threat to life, cyberstalking and cyberbullying.
The Magistrate sitting at Wuse Zone 6 Magistrate court, in Abuja had on April 8 adjourned the case to Friday April 12 for ruling on the bail application.
A court staff who walked into the courtroom while the lawyers had seated said the Magistrate was sick after Monday’s sitting and has been indisposed.
He said “My Lord is not feeling fine. Yesterday I called him and from his voice, I observed he is not feeling well. I just made a call now, he told me that he is seriously down,” said a court staff.
The blogger is currently under prosecution by the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, over alleged criminal intimidation, threat to life, cyberstalking and cyberbullying of the founder and spiritual director of Zion Prayer Movement, Evangelist Ebuka Obi.
According to the defence counsel, the Police suppressed facts that led the court to order the remand of the defendant.
Counsel to the social media content creator, Mr. Marvin Omorogbe, had prayed the court to set aside the remand order granted against his client and order his release from the Keffi Correctional Center or in the alternative, admit him to bail.
He maintained that the Police lied that they had filed a criminal charge against the Applicant before a Federal High Court in Abuja.
“For the fact that the police came to court to lie on oath is enough reason to set aside the remand order, they misled the court into granting the remand order against the Applicant,” said Omorogbe.
Omorogbe argued that the 14 days period that was earlier granted for the Applicant to be remanded, had expired, insisting that there was no application for the renewal of the remand order,” he said.
Meanwhile, Police lawyer, Mr. Obiora Ejiofor, said there was no evidence placed before the court to warrant the exercise of its discretion in favour of the detainee.
In his submission, he explained that the police has filed a 4-count criminal charge against the Applicant before the Federal High Court in Abuja since the Magistrate court was bereft of the requisite jurisdiction to handle the offences levelled against the Applicant.
“We are waiting for a date by the Federal High Court to arraign the Applicant. The Police is a very responsible institution of government,” Ejiofor added.
On his part, Omorogbe told the court that exhibits police attached to the counter affidavit it filed to oppose the bail request, were forged.
“The purported wanted person notice was forged. That was why they made a photocopy of it to confuse the court. The court should not accord any value to the exhibits. The documents do not meet the minimum standard of the evidence Act,” he submitted.
In a video he posted on his Facebook page, Ofoegbu, allegedly threatened to kill the cleric and cut off his head.
He allegedly equally threatened to kill any police officer that attempted to arrest him.
Also on a placard, Ofoegbu inscripted, “Evangelist Ebuka Obi is a criminal and liar” and tagged all the miracles in Zion Prayer Movement as deceits, urging the police to arrest him for turning his religious institution into a business enterprise.’’
However, the development led to the filing of a petition to the Inspection General of Police, IGP, on the threat to the life of Evangelist Ebuka Obi and cyber-bullying.
Based on the petition, the Applicant was arrested and detained in Abuja by the police.
End.
