Just in: Rivers Federal Lawmaker Remanded on Prison Custody over Alleged Inciting Comment

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A Chief Magistrate Court sitting in Port Harcourt has remanded a Rivers State federal lawmaker, Ephraim Nwuzi in the correctional centre over alleged incitive comment ahead of the Saturday February 25 election in the state.

The lawmaker representing Etche/Omuma federal constituency in the House of Representatives, under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was arraigned in court Wednesday, by the state police command for allegedly inciting violence in a trending video.

THISDAY gathered that Nwuzi was arrested Wednesday morning, in his house in Chokocho, Etche when policemen with armoured vehicles forcefully broke into his house. 

Few hours after the rumour of his arrest went viral, the supervising Assistant Inspector General of Police,  Abutu Yaro, allegedly sent an invitation to the accused.

AIG Yaro who spoke through the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Grace Iringe-Koko “condemned in all totality a video circulating on social media of one Honourable Ephraim Nwuzi, a member of the House of Representatives, saying that residents of the State should be shot during the General Election coming up on February 25, 2023, in Rivers State”.

The supervising AIG said the invitation was for questioning on the content of the video to ascertain the intent and purposes of the lawmaker in the video.

At the court, Chief Magistrate, Amadi O. Amadi-Nna, ruled that the suspect should be remanded in Nigerian Correctional Centre for 10days pending the outcome of investigation by the police.

Speaking to journalists after the court session, Counsel for the federal lawmaker, Emenike Ebete, said the offences preferred against his client were insufficient to warrant a remand.

“The offences preferred against him include treasonable felony, conspiracy, inciting violence, promotion of communal crisis, conspiracy etc and that they are investigating him and that they want the court to remand him in correctional centre pending investigations.

“We have also submitted to the court that the offences disclosed in the particulars  and affidavit attached were not sufficient enough for him to be remanded.

“The court in its wisdom held that the offences are previous and that he should be remanded in prison custody until the 3rd of March 2023 pending when a charge will be preferred against him by the state.”