Abuja Court Orders Remand of 3 Suspects For Allegedly Defaming Maritime Academy Rector
Three persons suspected to have defamed and attempted to extort money from the Rector of Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Cdre Duja Effedua, (Rtd)were on Friday,June 14 remanded in the Kuje Correctional Centre following the order of Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Trouble started for the detained defendants,JO Udobang ,a former External Solicitor to the Academy; OU Essien and Micheal Edet after they were recently arrested by the police following complaints about their alleged unlawful acts
The detained suspects together with others still at large had in 2021 allegedly attempted to extort the rector through criminal blackmail, and engaged in orchestrated criminal defamation of the rector’s character by writing spurious petitions alleging fraudulent practices and embezzlement of the Academy money to a number of anti-graft agencies.
Working alongside a former staff of the Academy, Adamu Jibril ,the syndicate were accused to have subjected the rector to severe blackmail and harassment aimed at extorting money from him but failed as Effedua refused to yield to their nefarious, criminal pressures.
According to the case with suit number FHC/ABJ/CR/469 /2023, the suit is between the IGP Vs Michael Edet and the two others. The prosecutor accused the three defendants of four (4) count charge of felony against the rector.
After the charge was read to the defendants the defendants pleaded not guilty, their counsel addressing the court on their bail application, told the court that the defendant will deposit their Call-To-Bar Certificate in lieu of bail material requirements to convince the court that they will not jump bail.
Although the prosecution counsel did not object to the bail application, he reminded the court that justice should be seen to have been served since the court has the discretion to grant bail.
Thereafter the court granted the defendants bail on condition that they deposit their Call-To-Bar Certificate with the court, in addition to swearing to an affidavit of mean with two passport photographs, each.
However Justice Nwite remanded them in Kuje Prison until they are able to perfect their bail conditions, while the matter was adjourned to July 11, 2024.
