A former governor of Imo State, Mr. Ikedi Ohakin, is scheduled to be arraigned on October 21, for allegedly threatening to release nude photos of an Abuja-based woman, Mrs Chinyere Amuchienwa.
The prosecution date was fixed by the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday.
In fixing the former governor’s prosecution, Justice Taiwo Taiwo ordered the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, to take over the prosecution from the Inspector-General of Police, at the resumed trial on Monday.
The case started after the police filed criminal charges against Ohakim and Chinedu Okpareke over alleged threat to life and the threat to release Amuchienwa’s nude pictures.
But a twist came into the matter before Ohakim’s arraignment as the police gave notice of discountenancing of the matter on March 15, which coincided with the announcement by the AGF that he was taking over the matter.
Ohakim and Okpareke were charged with the alleged threat to release nude photographs of Amuchienwa unless shed dropped charges of attempted kidnap against them.
When the case came up for hearing on the last adjourned date, a counsel from the minister’s office, Mr Bagudu Sani, informed the court that the police would no longer prosecute the case because they had given notice of discontinuance.
According to him, the matter in the form it was originally filed by the police, had been transferred to the office of the attorney-general.
He went further to tell the court that the office of the attorney-general had gone ahead to file an affidavit of compliance on the matter.
Reacting to the development, the counsel to the police, Mr Rufus Dimka, expressed his opposition to the application by the minister, arguing that the police had already filed a complainant/applicant’s counter-affidavit.
He pleaded with the court to grant the notice of discontinuance by the Police and strike out the charge.
However, Mr Emeka Etiaba (SAN), the counsel to Ohakim, opposed the request by the AGF to take over the matter and asked the court to throw out the application.
Etiaba said that the content of the affidavit of compliance by the Attorney General did not affect the consequence of the notice of withdrawal of the charge against his client.
Ruling on the mate Justice Taiwo held that there was no doubt that the AGF had unlimited powers to take over the prosecution of any case at any point.