The information has it that Mr Emperor Ogbonna, a Legal
Practitioner in Aba, Abia State, was arrested sometime in March and
arraigned before Magistrate Court 7, Umuahia on March 24, 2020.
He was charged with an allegation of cyber-crime and terrorism
in Charge No. U/144C/2020. He was said to have been remanded in
custody by the Magistrate Court until he was brought before the
Federal High Court, Umuahia exactly a month later on April 24,
2020.
The Federal High Court, Umuahia granted him bail on Tuesday,
April 28, 2020 and according to the leaders of the Bar in Aba, the
bail was subsequently perfected. Notwithstanding, the men of D.S.S.
Abia State were said to have re-arrested him and put him in
detention.
We call on the men of the D.S.S. in Abia State to speedily
release Mr Emperor Ogbonna without any further delay in obedience
to the Federal High Court Order granting him bail. Under the law
and the Constitution of this country, bail is a constitutional
right. And in the strong words of the same Constitution, Mr Emperor
Ogbonna is innocent of the offences charged until his guilt has
been established before a competent Court of Law. Furthermore, let
it be stated that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria 1999, as amended does not leave anybody in doubt as to the
position of the rights of Nigerian citizens, both the conformist
and the non-conformist.
In a Constitutional Democracy such as ours, the law is no
respecter of persons and Orders and Judgments of Courts of
competent jurisdiction must be obeyed and speedily too. We call on
the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of
Abia State, Uche Ihediwa Esq., to bring the weight of his Office to
bear on this matter and ensure that the needful is done and justice
dispensed to all parties concerned.
Dele Adesina SAN
The information has it that Mr Emperor Ogbonna, a Legal
Practitioner in Aba, Abia State, was arrested sometime in March and
arraigned before Magistrate Court 7, Umuahia on March 24, 2020.
He was charged with an allegation of cyber-crime and terrorism
in Charge No. U/144C/2020. He was said to have been remanded in
custody by the Magistrate Court until he was brought before the
Federal High Court, Umuahia exactly a month later on April 24,
2020.
The Federal High Court, Umuahia granted him bail on Tuesday,
April 28, 2020 and according to the leaders of the Bar in Aba, the
bail was subsequently perfected. Notwithstanding, the men of D.S.S.
Abia State were said to have re-arrested him and put him in
detention.
We call on the men of the D.S.S. in Abia State to speedily
release Mr Emperor Ogbonna without any further delay in obedience
to the Federal High Court Order granting him bail. Under the law
and the Constitution of this country, bail is a constitutional
right. And in the strong words of the same Constitution, Mr Emperor
Ogbonna is innocent of the offences charged until his guilt has
been established before a competent Court of Law. Furthermore, let
it be stated that the Constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria 1999, as amended does not leave anybody in doubt as to the
position of the rights of Nigerian citizens, both the conformist
and the non-conformist.
In a Constitutional Democracy such as ours, the law is no
respecter of persons and Orders and Judgments of Courts of
competent jurisdiction must be obeyed and speedily too. We call on
the Honourable Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice of
Abia State, Uche Ihediwa Esq., to bring the weight of his Office to
bear on this matter and ensure that the needful is done and justice
dispensed to all parties concerned.
Dele Adesina SAN