At last, the New Media Director of the Imo State Chapter of the PDP, Ambrose Nwaogwugwu who has spent one week in DSS custody has been arraigned in court.
It would be recalled that Nwaogwugwu was invited by the DSS and consequently detained fuelling outcry and agitation in the public over his detention.
While the PDP accused the DSS of conniving with the Imo State Government under the APC Governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma of plans to silence the opposition through this manner of unwarranted arrest, the party also raised the alarm that the family members and lawyers were stopped from gaining access to him while languishing in DSS cell.
Meanwhile, while the DSS were yet to give reasons why Nwaogwugwu was arrested and kept in their custody, the Imo State Government in a statement credited to its functionaries disclosed that the New Media Director of the main opposition party in the state was kept in dungeon of the secret police for alleged Cyber Crime.
Barely 24 hours after the PDP raised another alarm over the continued detention of their member, alleging that there is a plot to kill him, surprisingly, Nwaogwugwu was brought to court for charges.
According to what Trumpeta obtained from the PDP, “Ambrose Nwaogwugwu was surreptitiously moved to the Owerri Magistrate Court Presided over by B. U Adikibe Chief Magistrate Court without any notice or access to his lawyers.
“Imo people raised alarm upon noticing they want to hurriedly arraign him and remand him in prison without legal representation. But they failed.
“Before we arrived, good spirited Imolites have gathered lawyers who already entered appearance for Ambrose Nwaogwugwu even on pro-bono.
“They already put up spirited defence against any attempt hurriedly remand him without legal representation.
“Counsels to Nwaogwugwu raised objection to Count VI of the Charge which the Owerri Magistrate Court has no Jurisdiction to entertain.
“After the charges were read out and plea taken, Counsels to Ambrose Nwaogwugwu made an oral application for his Bail. The Counsel for the State opposed the application for Bail.
“The Court adjourned date for ruling on application for bail in view of the plethora of cases cited by Counsels to Ambrose Nwaogwugwu.
“Case was adjourned to 19-06-2020 for ruling on Application for Bail. Ambrose remains in the custody of the DSS until the adjourned date and ruling on Bail Application delivered one way or the other”
Trumpeta can also reveal that there has been an outcry in the state of suspected suppression of freedom of expression jugding from the style of the state government towards opposing comments.
On Wednesday, an Owerri based tabloid had in a banner headline quoted the state commissioner of information, Declan Emelumba of threatening that the state will deal ruthlessly with opposing forces even as the invasion of Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA to the building housing Trumpeta seeking for the newspaper’s office is raising suspicion of plan to shut free speech.
