$10m Infectious Disease Bill Alligation: Court declares arrest, arraignment of CUPP Spokesperson unlawful
The FCT High court sitting in Apo presided by Justice Binta Mohammed has granted the application for a judicial review filed by Spokesperson of the CUPP, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere to restrain the Wuse Chief Magistrate Court from going ahead with the case of criminal defamation brought against him by the Inspector General of Police on the account of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
A Chief Magistrate in Wuse District of Abuja had granted bail to Mr. Ugochinyere in the sum of two hundred thousand nairas and 1 surety in like sum.
He had pleaded not guilty to a 4 count charge of defamation brought against him by Speaker House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila and the entire members of the House.
In a first information report, the prosecution had claimed that Mr Ugochinyere, conspired with others at large to commit an offense of defamation against the Speaker and the entire House of Representatives when he accused them of collecting 10 million dollars in order to pass the Infectious Disease Bill.
Justice Binta Mohammed held that the magistrate court acted without jurisdiction to entertain the matter against Mr ugochinyere.
Reminiscing the rift, spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties, Ikenga Ugochinyere had accused the House of Representatives through its Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila of collecting the sum of $10m to work on the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill.
On the account of his comment over the Infectious Disease Bill, he was arrested on the orders of the House of Reps Speaker by the Nigerian Police for questioning and thereafter released.
“I was shown a petition authored and engineered by the lawless Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Clerk of the House of Representatives forwarding a resolution of the House where the police were directed to arrest me following the comments I made about the shady attempt to pass the Control of Infectious Diseases Bill,” he said.
