Police arrest, arraign Ebonyi PDP Youth Leader over alleged invasion of Secretariat

Samuel Amah, Abakaliki

The Ebonyi State Police Command, on Monday, arrested the Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party, in the state, Barr Obinna Iteshi, for allegedly breaking and entering the party’s Secretariat.

Also, the Police, within two hours after the PDP Youth Leader was arrested, arraigned him before the Enonyi State Magistrate’s Court, sitting in Abakaliki, the state capital, for other alleged offences.

Also arrested and arraigned, on Monday evening, were one Ngamgbo Chukwunonso and Nwakpa Chibuzor.

Reportedly, their arrest and eventual arraignment, may not be unconnected to the crisis rocking the PDP in the state, hence the dissolution of its National Working Committee.

Recall that the NWC recently dissolved Chief Onyekachi Nwebonyi-led State Executive Council and appointed a Caretaker Committee, led by Elder Fred Udeogu.

FamousReporters reports that
Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, last week, had restrained Nwebonyi from parading himself as the PDP Chairnan in the state.

This is even as Nwebonyi had gone to court to challenge his removal by the NWC.

Armed with State order, the Udeogu-led members of the party, had gone to the party Secretariat, on Monday, apparently to resume normal party administration, when police allegedly clampeddown on them.

While the first accused was said to have been allegedly arrested within the party Secretariat, the second and third accused persons, were said to have been arrested while returning from exams.

The suspects, it was said, committed the offence at the PDP Secretariat, Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway, on Monday, February 1, 2021.

They were arraigned before the Magistrate’s Court, on Monday, on four counts bothering on felony, conspiracy, break and entry, among others.

The Police Prosecutor, ASP Ayeni, too the court that the offences were punishable under sections 516A(a), 411(b), 451(1) and 12 of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009 and Enonyi State Internal Security Enforcement and Related Matters Law, Cap. 55, Vol. 2, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.

The charge partly read, “That you Barr. Obinna Iteshi ‘m’, Ngamgbo Chukwunonso ‘m’ and Nwakpa Chibuzor ‘m’ and others at large on the 1st day of February, 2021 at the Peoples Democratic Party Secretariat, along Abakaliki-Enugu Road, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to commit felony to wit; Break and Entry, conduct likely to cause breach of peace, malicious damage, burglary and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 516(a) of the Criminal Code Cap. 33, Vol. 1, Laws of Ebonyi State of Nigeria, 2009.”

The Defense Counsel led by Barr Like Nkwegu, pleaded that his clients should be granted bail, arguing that they were not guilty of the offences being preferred against them.

But the Prosecuting Counsel, ASP Ayeni, opposed the bail application, claiming that outside the technicalities of the matter, its administrative dimension, should not be eschewed.

However, the Magistrate, Justice Chinedu Agama, granted the suspects bail in the sum of N50,000.00 each, with one surety, in like sum.

He said the surety’s identity and his residence must be verified by the court.

He adjourned the matter till February 15, 2021, for report of complaince.