Bola Tinubu
The Federal Government has opposed an application filed by an alleged terrorist and oil bunkerer, Ugochukwu Ibekwe, seeking an order for his bail pending hearing and determination of the case.
The Prosecution Counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo, SAN, prayed Justice Salim Ibrahim to reject the application for lacking in merit.
The defendant is being prosecuted for allegedly causing death of over 500 persons and also responsible for economic sabotage to the country through bunkering.
Ibekwe, also known as Chief Onwa, was also put on trial by the Federal Government for allegedly tampering with oil pipelines, siphoning crude oil and running illegal refineries without appropriate licence.
The prosecution also accused him of receiving N1 million from one Musa Mohammed for permission to engage in illegal tapping of oll pipeline and also agreed to receive the sum N2 million weekly for subsequent operations.
At the proceedings before Justice Ibrahim, the lawyer to the defendant, Damian Okoro, SAN, applied for bail for his client on various grounds.
The lawyer claimed that the defendant is a Kidney transplant patient and that a prima facie case had not been established against him in the terrorism allegation, especially the alleged death of 500 persons.
He therefore pleaded with the court to admit the defendant to bail to enable him attend to his health issues and be prepared for his defence in the charges against him.
Okoro assured the court that the defendant would not jump bail and would also not tamper with witnesses and evidence if admitted to bail.
The bail application was however vehemently opposed by Oyedepo who is the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation.
Oyedepo told the court that charges against Ibekwe were capital in nature and carried capital punishment ranging from death sentence to life imprisonment.
He claimed that bail can only be granted in such charges on exceptional circumstances and that the defendant had not established such circumstances.
Oyedepo dismissed the claim of kidney transplant disease on the ground that there was no acceptable medical records from the government hospital as required by law.
He drew the attention of the court to assertion of one Uzoma Randle to the effech that over 500 people had died through oil spillage and crude oil refineries of the accused person in various locations.
He also raised the issue of security of witness that would testify against Ibekwe during trial that needed to be well protected.
He therefore pleaded with the judge to refuse the bail application and instead grant accelerated trial of the accused person.
After taking arguments for and against the bail request, Justice Ibrahim fixed July 1 for ruling and commencement of trial of the accused person.
One of the counts alleged that Ibekwe of No. 10, Nwanom Street, Oyigbo in Rivers, sometime between 1999 to 2025, while at Imo River Community, Ukwa West Local Government Area of Abia State, “conspired with one MR. TIMI, IGBO, ALOZYE, OBINNA COOK, DOZY, WILFRED, PRINCE ADEBAYO and others (all at large).”
They were alleged to have operated illegal refining sites, tampered with oi! pipelines, siphoned crude oil, cooked and sale without appreciate licence.
The offence is contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, CAP. M17 (Revised Edition), Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2007 and punishable under Section 1 (17)(a)(b) of the same Act.(NAN)
