By Emma Elekwa, Onitsha
Traditional ruler of Ukwulu community in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, Igwe Peter Uyanwa, and nine others have been dragged before a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja over their alleged plot to take over the traditional institution of the community following the demise of the former ruler, Igwe T.C. Tagbo.
The monarch and others are expected to be arraigned before the Federal High Court presided over by Justice Okon Abang on November 7 on a 12-count charge of perjury, conspiracy, fabrication of evidence and conduct likely to cause breach of peace, among others.
The case, sighted by the Nation, was filed in the court with registration number FHC/ABJ/CR/255/2019, by ACP Cosmos Anyanwu (Esq.) of Legal/ Prosecution Department of Nigeria Police Force, on October 16, 2019.
Count number three of the charge read: “That you, Igwe Peter Anaukwu Uyanwa, Chief Walter Okafor and Ichie Boniface Kamuche, between the 3rd of May and 22nd of November, 2018, in suit No. A/525/2017, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did falsely depose separate affidavits on oath that there was serious wrangling between (Ukwulu) community and Catholic Church.
“The act resulted in the remains of late Igwe T.C. Tagbo not taken to the church for Requiem Mass as a Catholic on the day of his burial, on 10th March, 2016, because, according to you, the event was his last Ofala and purely traditional.
“That it was Ukwulu town union that organised the burial, knowing it to be false and thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 118 of the Criminal Code Act CAP ‘C38’ Laws of the Federation, 2004.”
Count number six also reads: “That you, Igwe Peter Anaukwu Uyanwa, Chief Walter Okafor and Ichie Boniface Kamuche, Mr Michael Eziachalla, Chief Christian Nwadiuto, Ichie Godwin Anigbata, Mr Ezekiel Aniekwe, Chief Peter Monife, Ichie Agu Felix Uzodigwe and Comrade Augustine Maduka, sometime in 2018, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to writ: fabricating evidence in suit No. A/525/2017 and thereby, committed an offence punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act CAP ‘C38’ Laws of the Federation, 2004.
Recall that the same monarch was earlier arraigned before a Federal High Court, Awka, in charge No. FHC/AWK/C/79/18, on the 4th of July, 2018, by the Federal Government for forgery, perjury and fabrication of evidence of election result of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primaries for Anaocha/Dunukofia/Njikoka Federal constituency.
He was also charged with presenting the forged result in court, when the result was contested in court; as well as presenting the same forged result as exhibit to be used for judgment in his favour.
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The monarch, however, was briefly remanded at the Amawbia Prison before he met his bail conditions and nothing has been heard of the case since then.
When contacted, the nominal complainant, Prince Engr. Chinedu Tagbo, confirmed the monarch and his accomplices were due for arraignment on October 25, 2019.
He disclosed that when the case was mentioned at the FHC, Abuja, the police failed to produce them, forcing the judge to adjourn the case to November 7.
Tagbo, however, expressed doubts over police reluctance to bring the suspect to court on that day in view of his boastings as a man with network of connections, which had enabled him to escape justice.
He, however, urged the federal prosecutors to take necessary steps to ensure that justice is served in the matter.
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