A Magistrate Court sitting in Abakaliki has remanded the former chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ebonyi state, Mr Augustine Nwazunku and three other suspects over alleged cultism, forgery, impersonations and illegal suspension of the South East National Vice Chairman of PDP, Chief Ali Odefa from the party.
The trial Magistrate, Ojemba Isu-0ko refused bail application of the Counsel to the Defendants, U. A Obasi and ordered that the four suspects should be remanded in prison custody till November 18, 2024.
In a five count charge before the Magistrate Court, the three other suspects which included Obinna Nwachukwu, Njoku Nwagwu, Ogbonnaya Idika were accused of forging a letter purported to have emanated from PDP executives of Ogudu-Okwor ward in Oshiri claiming that the party has suspended the Southeast National Vice Chairman of the party, Chief Ali Odefa.
The suspects were also alleged to have belonged to a proscribed secret cult group known as Vikings confraternity thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 3 (1) (3) of the Ebonyi State Law Prohibiting Secret Cult activities and carrying of offensive weapons and punishable under Section 5 of the same Law.
The charges read: “that you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the 2nd October, 2024 at Ogudu-Okwor Onicha in the aforementioned Magisterial District did conspire with one another to commit felony to wit: cultism, forgery, impersonation, conduct likely to cause breach of peace and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 516 A (a) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ebonyi State”.
“That you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the same date, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District, forged a letter purporting to emanate from PDP executives of Ogudu-Okwor ward in Oshiri with intent that it may be in any way used or acted upon as genuine when you know that the said letter was false and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 467 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ebonyi state”.
“That you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the 2nd October, 2024 at Ogudu-Okwor Onicha in the aforementioned Magisterial District did belong to a secret cult group known as Vikings confraternity, a proscribed group and thereby committed an offence contrary To Section 3 (1) (3) of the Ebonyi State Law Prohibiting Secret Cult activities and carrying of offensive weapons and punishable under Section 5 of the same Law.
“That you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the same date, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District conduct yourselves in a manner likely to cause the breach of peace by causing disaffection among the PDP executives of Ogudu-Okwor ward executives of the party claiming that the party has suspended Chief Ali Odefa, PDP National Vice Chairman South East zone from the party and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 247 (d) of the Criminal Code Laws of Ebonyi State”.
“That you Obinna Nwachukwu ‘m’, Njoku Nwagwu ‘m’, Ogbonnaya Idika ‘m’, Augustine Aliugbala N. ‘m’ and others at large on the same date, place and in the aforementioned Magisterial District with intent to defraud, falsely represented yourselves as the executive of PDP Ogudu-Okwor ward and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 484 of the Criminal Code Laws of Ebonyi State”.