N800m Drilling Pipes: Rivers Court Grants N100m Bail to Ex-Anambra Guber Aspirant

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A Chief Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has granted bail in the tune of N100 million to a former governorship aspirant in Anambra state, Walter Ubaka Okeke, over alleged stealing of oil drilling pipes and many heavy duty equipment worth over N800 million.

The former gubernatorial aspirant is facing a trial in suit number PMC/884c/2022, before Chief Magistrate, A. O. Amadi-Nna.

The embattled ex-Anambra guber aspirant, Okeke, have been in detention for over one month in the Port Harcourt correctional centre following an order of arrest by the court.

When the matter was mentioned yesterday, the Chief Magistrate ruled on the application for bail and the objection raised by the prosecution led by Godday Amadi, and granted the accused bail with the like sum of N100 million.

Okeke hails from Enugwu village of Nanka in Orumba North local council area, but lives in his own compound at the Trans-Amadi area of the Garden City where the complainant, Sir Ifeanyi Amaonye, allegedly stocked the oil drilling pipes and other heavy industrial equipment.

Other conditions by the magistrate include that the surety must be up to Grade level 14 in the Rivers State Civil service who must have landed property within the Court’s jurisdiction. The property documents must be verified by the prosecution.

Also, an affidavit of means from a Grade Level 14 officer of the Rivers State Ministry must be deposited (original copy) with original copy of his appointment letter with the court. Each of the parties must deposit two of their passports and an affidavit of means which must be present and available.

The trial magistrate however, adjourned the matter till February 7, 2023 for hearing.

Speaking to journalists outside the courtroom, counsel to the defendant, Oluchukwu Ulasi, expressed gratitude for the bail granted and said they would go about perfecting it.

He, however, observed that the bench warrant against his client had been vacated since December 13, 2022.

He said: “What happened today was that, you recall that on December 13, 2022, the defendant took plea and, thereafter, we applied for his bail and the court adjourned the proceedings of the ruling on respect of our bail application to today.

“So today, the court delivered that ruling, granting the defendant bail and with conditions that you must have heard from the court so by the grace of God, we are grateful to the court for granting him bail because he’s been in the custody since November 15, 2022. So, all things being equal, we’ll try and see how we can meet those conditions.

“The issue of his bench warrant was all over the place. You will recall that court on the October 31, 2022, issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the defendant. That bench warrant order was vacated at the proceedings of December, 13, 2022, in other words, there’s no pending order for the arrest of the defendant.”

He said: “I hope the prosecution will present their witnesses. I can tell you that the defence is ready for trial”.