Rivers Court orders arrest of politician over alleged theft of N800m oil equipment

A Port Harcourt magistrate court has ordered the arrest of Walter Okeke, a one-time Anambra state governorship aspirant for allegedly stealing oil drilling pipes and other heavy-duty equipment worth over N800 million.

The accused hails from the Enugu village of Nanka in Orumba North local council area but lives in his own compound in the Trans-Amadi area of the Garden City where the complainant allegedly stocked the oil drilling pipes and other heavy industrial equipment.

The bench warrant and warrant of arrest were issued by the Chief Magistrate at Court 10 in Port Harcourt where the Chief Magistrate, A.O. Amadi Nna, gave a ruling in a preliminary objection raised by a defence counsel, Oluchuchu Ulasi.

The items alleged to have been stolen were said to be the property of a Port Harcourt businessman, Ifeanyi Amaonye, kept in the open at the accused’s compound in Trans-Amadi.

When the case came up on Monday, October 31, 2022, at Chief Magistrate’s Court 10, counsel to the accused raised a preliminary objection, saying there was an application they just submitted to the court.

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He said there was a case where the defendant (Okeke), who is the landlord of the said compound, got a ruling asking the police not to harass him whatsoever.

The police prosecution counsel, Godday Amadi, countered saying the case in the Chief Magistrate’s Court was simply a criminal case and that the case was stood down earlier in the year to allow the case at the Rivers State High Court to run to the end where the defendant asked for enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

He noted that the said case at the High Court had run to an end with a judgment that was not in favour of the accused (Okeke). He further pointed out that there was no appeal from it before the Chief Magistrate sitting over the theft case.

He thus said by this, the criminal case of stealing at the Chief Magistrate’s Court should continue, but that Okeke (the accused) had refused repeatedly to come to court.

He demanded a bench warrant as well as a warrant of arrest to produce the accused to court.

After a staccato of exchanges between both counsels, the Chief Magistrate ruled ordering the arrest of Okeke who should be produced in court on December 8, 2022.