FG plans life jail for Leadership reporters ISE-OLUWA IGE April 17, 2013 No Comments »
…Slams 10-count charge
The Federal Government yesterday docked the Group News Editor of Leadership newspaper, Mr. Tony Amokeodo and Political Correspondent, Mr. Chibuzor Ukaibe, for allegedly forging a document purported to contain a presidential directive to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, not to register an opposition political party.
Government slammed a 10-count charge on the journalists, one of which carries a life sentence.
They were accused of forging a document containing presidential directive, fraudulent publication of a bromide of the controversial document, inciting members of the public against the government to dislocate the nation’s peace and forgery of the seal, signet or sign manual purported to be the signature of President Jonathan Goodluck on the duo. The Nigeria Police which investigated the caseis presently prosecuting the journalists.
Although, the charge had been filed with the journalists served the court process, the high court judge, Justice Adetokunbo Ademola, whowas assigned to hear the case, aborted the plans by the police to take their pleas yesterday.
The trial judge, who faulted the police over its failure to directly serve the accused persons the charge together with the proof of evidencein the matter, also ruled yesterday that the accused needed to be given time to study the charge, peruse the evidence against them andhire counsel of their choice to defend them. Justice Ademola said there was no need to sacrifice the rights and the justice in the matter on the platter of speed.
Attempts by the police to get the court order remanding the accused journalists in either prison or police custody yesterday also failed as the judge ruled that the legal argument and authorities cited by both the police and the counsel to the accused on their bail were not applicable, the accused having not been arraigned.
His words: “Having listened to the submissionsof the opposing counsel, it is the court’s opinion that the submissions are premature, the accused having not been arraigned. The arraignment of the accused is thereby fixed forApril 23 while the first and second accused persons are released conditionally to the Leadership newspaper’s Company Secretary, Mr. Umar Jubril, who will produce them at the next adjourned date.
In the 10-count charge filed against the two journalists and the newspaper at the registry of the high court, counts one, three, five, seven and nine carry seven years imprisonment each; count eight carries 14 years; counts two, four and 10 carry three years jail term each while count six carries life sentence.
Count six reads: That you, Tony Amokeodo, Chibuzor Ukaibe, Leadership Group Limited and Taiwo Ogunmola Omilani, who is now at large, on the 3rd day of April, 2013 at Abuja inthe Abuja judicial division did forge/ make a false document and placed same on the front page of Leadership newspaper of 3rd day of April, 2013, having on it the seal, or sign manual which purports that it is from the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 467 (1) (b) of the Criminal Code Act Cap ‘C’ 38 Laws of Federation of Nigeria, 2004.
There were conflicting reports yesterday on how Messrs Tony Amokeodo and Chibuzor Ukaibe, got to the police headquarters with the police saying that they were arrested at about 4.30 on Monday by them while the journalists were claiming that they walked intothe police office on their own.
The duo alongside Mrs. Chinyere Fred-Adegbulugbe and the Managing Editor, Mr. Chuks Ohuegbe, were last week arrested by the police following a story in which the newspaper alleged a presidential directive targeted at the country’s opposition political parties.



http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/fg-plans-life-jail-for-leadership-reporters/

God development. I like the way the government is following the rule of law. Let these be taught a good lesson that you cannot claim you are fighting corruption with corruption. Very sad development for Nigeria that we have an evil group of people claiming to be the ones that will redeem us.

SCAPEGOAT THINGS

Very Good for them. Whether GEJ gave the directive or not is not for them to make a presidential directive public. It is an act of treason and in some countries they would have long been dead not to talk of when the directive is fake. The South West media needs to be checked they are over stepping their bound.

You can judge case until defendant prove their case.

gboss4sure: Very Good for them. Whether GEJ gave the directive or not is not for them to make a presidential directive public. It is an act of treason and in some countries they would have long been dead not to talk of when the directive is fake. The South West media needs to be checked they are over stepping their bound.

I often wonder why God made me a citizen of the same country as peole like you.

This is the prize of recalcitrant and overzealous journalism. I pity these fellows but they went too far serving the interest of some political elements. That document whether true or false was capable of causing disaffection in the polity hence it's a treasonable offence. A presidential directive isn't the business of Leadership Newspaper to make public. We should learn to respect institution even if we don't have regard for the occupants of such institution. These men have just landed themselves in trouble for a pittance.

Let them cool their feet in prison a little but A̶̲̥̅♏ not surporting life imprisonment.meanwhile,whilst in d prison yard,I shall devote my time in supplying dem Ijubu garri.

And people think the Law is decided by FG? Lmao!!! Any judge that will give the defendants life imprisonment on the case will lose his or her right to practice law.

Which kind judgement be that?

By the way, all the FG had to do was shame the news carriers. I think there will be a case against the FG for human rights violation because the people didn't break any law. It's simple false news and last I checked there is no law against false news when there is freedom of speech.

Are the defendants' lawyers even lawyers sef?

bloggernaija:

I often wonder why God made me a citizen of the same country as peole like you.

If you cant point out anything wrong with his post, just STFU! ok?

0lumide: And people think the Law is decided by FG? Lmao!!! Any judge that will give the defendants life imprisonment on the case will lose his or her right to practice law.

Which kind judgement be that?

By the way, all the FG had to do was shame the news carriers. I think there will be a case against the FG for human rights violation because the people didn't break any law. It's simple false news and last I checked there is no law against false news when there is freedom of speech.

Are the defendants' lawyers even lawyers sef?

false news is punishable its slander. In this case its Treasonable felony. Good news

Use this guys to set an example to others...that's all

Hopefully others fake news outlets take note

alexchiny:

If you cant point out anything wrong with his post, just STFU! ok?

If you need anyone to point out the obvious imbecility in his post, you're every bit as big a m0r0n as he is. Now STFU.