A lawyer, Ifeanyichukwu Igwe was on Monday docked before a Magistrates’ Court in Minna, the Niger State capital for allegedly calling a magistrate and a police prosecutor criminals.
Igwe was docked on a three count of criminal intimidation, refusing to answer public servant authorized to question him, and intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace.
The Police Prosecutor, Sergeant Emmanuel Ogiri had told the court that the matter was referred from the Commissioner of Police for investigation on January 14th, 2019.
Ogiri said that one Inspector John Edache alleged that the accused person, who works with Ascended Law Chamber, Minna threatened his life and that of his family through a text message at about 5:30 pm on December 25, 2018.
He noted that the accused person was invited by the Police but blatantly refused to honour the invitation.
According to him, the accused person then went to Gwada Magistrate court, where the police inspector works as a prosecutor with the aim to fight but met his absence.
He added that the accused person had insulted the presiding magistrate Gimba Isah, saying that he and the inspector were criminals.
He said the offences were contrary to sections 397 subsection B’, 142 and 399 of the penal code law respectively.
When the charges were read to the accused person, he pleaded not guilty.
The prosecutor thereafter prayed the court for an adjournment to enable the Police to call its witnesses.
He, however, objected to bail for the accused person on the grounds that it was a case bordering on the threat to life.
Counsel for the accused person, A.A Mbachu prayed the court to grant his client bail in line with sections 35 and 36 of the 1999 constitution as amended.
Mbachu said his client would not jump bail but will appear in court at every adjourned date and provide a reasonable surety.
In his ruling, Magistrate Paul Adama granted the accused person bail in the sum of N1million and a surety who must be a civil servant with the state government, not below grade level 15.
Adama adjourned the matter until June 11, 2019.
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