Rivers CJ Dares Prisons Top Shots To Produce Murder Suspect

Justice Adama Indie Iyayi-Lamikanra

The Rivers State Chief Judge, Justice A.I. Iyayi-Lamikanra has ordered the controller, federal prisons, and the deputy controller of prisons in the state to appear before her to explain why they should not be put to prison for disobeying a court order for not producing the former Asari Toru Local Government Council Chairman, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree in court to take his plea on a murder charge against him.
The two senior prisons officials were summoned by the state High Court on Wednesday during the presumption of the matter, for failure to produce the accused in court.
Iyayi-lamikanra also ordered the Inspector-General of Police, the assistant inspector-general of police, Zone 6, the state commissioner of police and other security agencies to ensure that both prison officials complied with the court order.
Ojukaye Flag-Amachree is standing trial for a second phase of an alleged murder case brought against him by the State Government before Justice A.I. Iyayi-Lamikanra.
It would be recalled that at the last adjourned sitting, the state chief Judge had threatened to invoke the powers of the court against the prisons authorities, if they fail to bring the accused to the court on Wednesday to enable him fake plea, the order, which they failed to comply with.
The state chief judge also struck out an application filed by Counsel to the accused, Rowland Otaro, seeking to set aside the on-going trial for lack of merit.
Iyayi-Lamikanra while striking out the application said that the application was pre-mature as the accused has not been brought before the court to take his plea, and adjourned the matter to October 19, 2016.
Later in an interview with journalists, Counsel to the accused, Rowland Otario, (SAN), said the court’s decision to strike out the application was a total denial of fair hearing to his client, adding that the application was merely put on notice and had not been canvassed on the floor of the court.
Also speaking, Counsel to the state government, Godwin Obla, said the order by the court summoning the two prison officials would serve as deterrent to other institutions of government which disobey court orders.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Thursday, commenced hearing of bail application brought before it by the embattled former Chairman of Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the state, Ojukaye Flag-Amachree.
The three-man panel of judges led by Justice A.A. Gumel further directed the counsel involved in the matter to, within seven days, respond and serve their various briefs, and written addresses before the next adjourned date.
The appellante court also reserved ruling on the various arguments as canvassed by both parties on the bail application, adding that a date for the ruling on that motion would be communicated to the various parties.
Speaking to journalists at the Appeal Court, Counsel to the Plaintiff, Rowland Otaro (SAN), said they brought two appeals before the court on the refusal of a Port Harcourt High Court presided over by Justice Margret Opara to grant Ojukaye bail as well as Justice M. Opara’s jurisdiction to hear the matter when there was an application against the continuation of hearing.