Money Laundering: Rivers Federal Lawmaker to Remain in Custody Till May 4

Blessing Ibunge in Port Harcourt

A lawmaker representing Port Harcourt Federal Constituency II, River State, in the House of Representatives, Chinyere Igwe, has been remanded in police custody over alleged involvement in money laundering in the state.

Justice Stephen Pam of a Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, ordered for the remand of the lawmaker, yesterday, and adjourned the matter till May 4, this year for possible bail consideration.

Igwe, who is an ally of the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the just concluded February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, was arraigned on one count bothering on money laundering.

According to the charge, the lawmaker was allegedly arrested on February 24, 2023 in possession of $498,000 without reporting to the Central Bank of Nigeria

When the matter was mentioned in court, yesterday, Principal prosecuting counsel from the State Attorney General office, Chidi Ekeh applied to take over the prosecution from the police.

The defence counsel, Reuben Wanoghor, who did not opposed the application by the prosecution counsel, moved a motion for the bail of his client.

Ruling on the submissions by both parties in the matter, Justice Pam admitted the application by the prosecution counsel, and subsequently adjourned the matter till May 4, 2023, for the commencement of the substantive case and ordered that the defendant be remanded in police custody.

Speaking to journalists outside the court, Mr Ekeh, prosecuting counsel explained that, “We applied to take over the prosecution of the matter from the police which application has been granted and so have done that. The defence instituted a motion moving the bail application and the court agreed with them that the matter was ordinarily adjourned to today for bail application.

On his part, counsel to the defendant, Wanoghor said, “We had filed our motion for the bail of the defendant and the motion was adjourned to today for hearing.