A Federal High Court Abuja has refused an application by the Inspector General of Police to withdraw criminal charges against Anambra monarch, Igwe Peter Anaukwu Uyanwa.
The court, instead, ordered that His Royal Highness, Igwe Peter Anaukwu Uyanwa, the Ezedike of Ukwulu kingdom, Anambra State and 9 others be arraigned on December 6.
The nine others are Walter Okafor, Boniface Kamuche, Michael Eziachalla, Christian Nwadiuto, Godwin Anigbata, Ezekiel Aniekwe, Peter Mmonife, Agu Felix Uzodigwe, and Augustine Maduka.
The defendants who were to be arraigned last week Friday on a 12-count charge in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/255/2019 filed on October 16 by the Inspector General of Police for the federal government, evaded the arraignment.
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They were alleged to have conspired to breach the peace in Ukwulu community. Their offences also include perjury and fabrication of evidence.
However, a mild drama ensued when the matte was called and the defendants were not in court. The prosecutor, ACP Cosmos Anyanwu, told the court that the IGP had instructed him to withdraw the suit.
The defendants’ counsel, Ikenna Egbuna (SAN), told the court that he was not opposed to the withdrawal. He explained that the defendants were absent in court because the prosecutor had informed him that he was asked to withdraw the matter.
The nominal complainant, who was in court, Chinedu Tagbo, objected to the move. During proceedings, he signified by raising his hands in the open court.
Justice Okon Abang, gave him the opportunity to vent his grievances. Tagbo told the court that he had already petitioned the Inspector General of Police to change ACP Anyanwu from the case for corruption and extortion. He handed the judge the documents to buttress the complaint.
He further told the court that after the prosecutor filed the charge, he demanded N5m for legal fees without which the suit would be withdrawn. He said as a victim of the crime he sought refuge under the protection of the court.
Prince Tagbo narrated how the prosecutor, ACP Anyanwu, had tried to frustrate the service on the defendants by withholding till date the processes he collected, N100,000 for preparation and filing. He said the court bailiff later affected the service by serving copies of the Certified True Copy of the charge on the defendants.
He said that rather than attend the court, the defendants were celebrating in the village because they were told that the matter had been withdrawn and they have been discharged by the presiding judge.
He further told the court that the prosecutor was persuading him that the defendants had offered him the sum of N20m to settle out of court.
In a brief ruling, Justice Abang struck out the motion seeking to withdraw the charge.
He also refused to acquit the defendants. The court ordered the defendants to be arraigned and granted the nominal complainant leave of court to bring any counsel of his choice for prosecution and ordered the defendants’ counsel, Ikenna Egbuna (SAN )to produce the defendants on December 6 for arraignment or face a severe consequence.
The police had sometime in June 2018 arraigned the same monarch, Igwe Uyanwa in Federal High Court, Awka: FHC/AWK/C/79/2018 for alleged offences of forgery, perjury, and fabrication of evidence.
He was remanded in Amawbia prison custody for days before he met his bail conditions. The police had since withdrawn the matter.
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