Sowore Condemns Continued Detention Of Ijele Despite Meeting Bail Terms, Laments Prison Authorities’ Failure To Produce Warrant Keeping Him In Jail
Despite blogger Chizorom Harrisson Ofoegbu, also known as Ijele, meeting stringent bail conditions set by a Federal High Court judge in Lagos since April 2024, his release has been hindered.
Omoyele Sowore, the convener of #RevolutionNow movement on Wednesday lamented that Ijele has been held at Ikoyi Prison in Lagos on allegations of cybercrime, related to alleged collusion between the Nigerian police and Evangelist Ebuka Obi of Zion Ministry, Lagos.
The delay stems from the Nigerian police filing another case against Ofoegbu before a Federal High Court judge in Awka, Anambra State.
Sowore noted that he “applied for the production warrant but it turns out the Nigeria Corrections Service is detaining him without a production warrant from Awka as they claimed”.
His application to the Controller of Corrections, Nigeria Correctional Service Centre, Lagos State Command, Alagbon Close, dated September 18, 2024, reads, “l am writing on behalf of Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu to humbly request the issuance of a Certified of True Copy of (COT) of the Production Warrant from the Federal High Court of Awka, Anambra State or any other court in Nigeria upon which your service continues to keep Mr. Ofuegbu detained at the Ikoyi – Correctional after he met his bail conditions for a criminal trial at the Federal High Court in Lagos.
“The said individual is currently being held at Ikoyi Correctional Centre for further legal proceeding and your assistance in providing it as soon as possible would be greatly appreciated.
“Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter.”
But in a post on his X account, Sowore said the prison officials could not immediately produce the warrant but instead asked him to wait for three working days.
He said, “Today, I visited Chizorom Harrison Ofoegbu at Ikoyi Prison in Lagos, where he has been detained since April 2024 on allegations of cybercrime, due to collusion between the Nigerian Police and Evangelist Ebuka Obi of Zion Ministry, Lagos.
“Despite meeting stringent bail conditions set by a Federal High Court judge in Lagos, Mr. Ofoegbu’s release was hindered as the Police had filed another case against him before a Federal High Court judge in Awka, Anambra state, obtaining a production warrant that has kept him in detention since July.
“During my visit, I formally requested the production warrants, which the Federal High Court in Awka has withheld from his lawyers. The prison authorities require three working days to produce these documents, this highlights Nigeria’s deliberate bureaucratic inefficiencies and elitist injustices.
“I am pleased to report that Harrisson is in high spirits, though his health has suffered due to the circumstances of his arrest and detentions in Abuja and Lagos.”
The suit filed in the Federal High Court in Awka numbered FHC/AWK/284C/2024, was filed against Ijele by the Inspector General of Police.
During proceedings in the high court on May 31, 2024, I. E. Nwobasi who held the brief of C. P. Nweze for the prosecution told the court that Ijele was absent and pleaded with the Justice H.J. Hilwa for a production warrant.
According to a court document obtained by SaharaReporters, Nwobasi said, “The Defendant in this matter is currently in Correctional Centre Lagos Ikoyi. They could not produce him due to the lock down yesterday. We pray the Court for a short date, a production warrant and hearing notice to the prison facility.”
The prosecution lawyer’s application was granted as prayed and the court adjourned the case to July 16, 2024 for the suspect’s arraignment.
One of Ijele lawyers told SaharaReporters on Wednesday that they were told that the court did not sit on July 16.
“They said they didn’t sit on the 16th, that this was the last record. We’ve searched the court record, 31st March was the last time they sat and then adjourned the matter to July 16,” the lawyer said.
However, they took October 17 as next date off record. The matter is among the matters fixed for October 17 because we checked the court diary.”
Meanwhile, in a letter dated September 6, 2024 from Deji Adeyanju & Partners addressed to the Deputy Chief-Registrar Federal High Court in Awka, signed by Bahija M. Saidu Esq, the lawyers representing Ijele noted that “we earlier filed an application dated September 2, 2024 for the Certified True Copy of the Record of Proceedings”. They acknowledged the “receipt of the Record of Proceedings for 31 May, 2024, certified on 5th September, 2024”.
The lawyers however applied “for the record of proceedings for the date wherein the order for the production warrant for the defendant (Ijele) to be produced on the 17th of October, 2024 was made”.
