Three legal practitioners, Emeka Ugwuonye, Nsikak Udo and Farouk Khamagam were on Thursday, arraigned before Chief Magistrate Court 2, in Wuse zone 2 area of Abuja, presided over by chief Magistrate Mabel Bello, for their alleged criminal roles in the case of the disappearance of missing Abuja woman, Charity Aiyedogbon.
While Lagos-based lawyer, Emeka Ugwuonye, was charged with criminal defamation, the other two lawyers were charged for forgery and perjury.
Following their arraignment, the accused persons, through their lawyers applied for bail.
Opposing the bail application by Mr Ugwuonye, the prosecutor, Adama Musa, described the accused as notorious, expressing fears that he may jump bail. He alleged that he was in the habit of not honouring invitations, adding that he has dual citizenship and may jump bail if granted.
In his ruling, the chief Magistrate, Mabel Bello, granted the accused bail in the sum of N5 million with a surety, who must be a civil servant and must earn not less than N300,000 monthly, with a traceable address in the Federal Capital Territory.
The other two accused, Nsikak Udo and Farouk Khamagam were granted bail on self-recognition, being practicing lawyers, resident in the Federal capital territory.
Mr Ugwuonye’s criminal defamation case has been fixed for hearing on March 16, 2018, while that of Nsikak Udo and Farouk Khamagam was adjourned to March 30, 2018.
It would be recalled that Mr. Ugwuonye had claimed to be in possession of overwhelming evidence that the missing Mrs. Aiyedigbon was killed by her estranged husband, Mr. David Aiyedogbon. His extravagant claim was made in different posts on his Facebook group, Due Process Advocates (DPA).
Mr. Ugwuonye’s co-accused were alleged to have claimed that the missing woman visited him on the 18th May, 2016 when she was reportedly to have gone missing on the 9th of May, 2016. He was said to have confessed that her signature was forged while Mr. Khamagam was alleged to have conspired with him to commit the crime.
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