Panic At Anambra Legislative House
There was panic on Thursday at the Anambra State House of Assembly, as four armed men, suspected to be operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), invaded the premises and tried to whisk away the member-elect for Nnewi North constituency, Mr Augustine Ike.
The armed men had arrived the Assembly complex in three vehicles and grabbed the member-elect after he participated in a valedictory thanksgiving mass for the seventh Assembly.
They forced the member-elect into their vehicle and were trying to drive out of the Assembly complex when security personnel quickly locked the exit gate.
When interrogated, one of the suspected DSS operatives, however, explained that they had a court order to arrest the member-elect.
It however took the intervention of the Speaker, Dr Uche Okafor, and the Deputy Governor, Dr Onyeka Ibezim, who came to represent the Governor at the Valedictory session, for the member-elect to be released.
TNC correspondent in Awka gathered that a Federal High Court in Awka had last month issued a bench warrant, for the member-elect and one Onyedika Chukwuma to appear in court for arraignment.
According to the order issued by Justice F.O Riman, Messers Ike and Chukwuma have been on the run, avoiding being served to appear in court since they were indicted, following the completion of an investigation into allegations of cyberstalking levelled against them.
The court noted that since the 29th day of March 2023 when the police completed their investigation on Ike and Chukwuma and were indicted, the duo has refused to show up and they have been on the run.
The development has made it difficult for the Court to serve them with the charge against them.
The Court further stated that it will not assume jurisdiction to start hearing the charge unless they are served and that the only option left is for the Court to issue a bench warrant to the IGP to effect their arrest.
Unconfirmed information reveals that the order may not be unconnected with a petition filed to the IGP by Billionaire Businessman, Cletus Ibeto.
In the 11 count order filed at the Federal High Court Awka by Anthony Egwu Esq, the Prosecuting counsel to the IGP, Augustine Ike and Onyedika Chukwuma were alleged to commit a criminal offence through the use of cyber stalking by using computer system to send messages on Social media known as FaceBook and WhatsApp, wherein they published that Cletus Ibeto is a “land grabber who want to defraud Nnewi/ Community of their land, surrounds himself with thieves, criminals, armed robbers and have been rejected by universal God”.
