Court Orders Arrest Of Anambra Assembly Member Elect

One month to the inauguration of the Anambra state House of Assembly a Federal High Court in Awka has issued a bench warrant ordering the arrest of Hon Augustine Ike who is a House of Assembly Member Elect to represent Nnewi North Constituency.

Also, one Onyedika Chukwuma is also to be arrested based of the same Bench warrant of the Federal High Court Awka.

The warrant was particularly direct to the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba.

Justice F.O Riman gave the order in a suit No FHC/Awka/C/ 120/2023 following what the court described as their refusal to be served with the Charge against them by the plaintiff Chief Cletus Ibeto .

The 11 count order filled at the Federal High Court Awka by Anthony Egwu Esq, the Prosecuting counsel to the IGP, Mr 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 Dr. 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”.

The Court upon Motion Exparte order for Bench warrant, directed to the Nigerian Police, particularly the Inspector general of Police, Deputy Inspector General of Police Force Criminals Investigation and Intelligence department Area 10 Garki,the Assistant Inspector General of Police ,Ukpo Anambra state to arrest and them to court

The Court noted that since the 29th day of March 2023 that the police completed their investigation on Hon. Ike and Chukwuma and was indicted, that 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.