Court remands ex-Ebonyi PDP chair, others for impersonation, forgery

Augustine Nwazunku, the former People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Chairman in Ebonyi State and three other suspects have been arraigned before a Magistrate Court sitting in Abakaliki over alleged cultism, forgery, impersonations and illegal suspension of the South East National Vice Chairman of PDP, Ali Odefa from the party.

Ojemba Isu-0ko, the trial Magistrate, refused bail application of the Counsel to the Defendants, U. A Obasi and ordered that the four suspects should be remanded in prison custody till November 18, 2024.

In a five count charge before the Magistrate Court, the three other suspects which included Obinna Nwachukwu, Njoku Nwagwu and Ogbonnaya Idika, were accused of forging a letter purported to have emanated from PDP Executive of Ogudu-Okwor ward in Oshiri, claiming that the party had suspended the Southeast National Vice Chairman of the party, Ali Odefa.

The suspects were also alleged to have belonged to a proscribed secret cult group known as Vikings Confraternity, thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3 (1) (3) of the Ebonyi State Law Prohibiting Secret Cult activities and carrying of offensive weapons and punishable under Section 5 of the same Law.

The charges read, “That you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the 2nd October, 2024 at Ogudu-Okwor Onicha in the aforementioned Magisterial District did conspire with one another to commit felony to wit: cultism, forgery, impersonation, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516 A (a) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ebonyi State.

“That you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the same date, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District, forged a letter purporting to emanate from PDP executives of Ogudu-Okwor ward in Oshiri with intent that it may be in any way used or acted upon as genuine when you know that the said letter was false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 467 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ebonyi State.

“That you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the 2nd October, 2024 at Ogudu-Okwor Onicha in the aforementioned Magisterial District did belong to a secret cult group known as Vikings confraternity, a proscribed group and thereby committed an offence contrary To Section 3 (1) (3) of the Ebonyi State Law Prohibiting Secret Cult activities and carrying of offensive weapons and punishable under Section 5 of the same Law.

“That you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the same date, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace by causing disaffection among the PDP executives of Ogudu-Okwor ward executives of the party claiming that the party has suspended Chief Ali Odefa, PDP National Vice Chairman South East zone from the party and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 247 (d) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ebonyi State.

“That you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the same date, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District with intent to defraud, falsely represented yourselves as the executive of PDP Ogudu-Okwor ward and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 484 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ebonyi State”.