ATIKU SUPPORTERS ARRESTED AND REMANDED IN PHC- THIS DAY

 

According to This Day Live; 

A Chief Magistrate court in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital has remanded 21 supporters of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the Nigeria Correctional facility in the state.

They were arrested in connection to a meeting organised by suspected members of Atiku Support Organisation in Rivers State. The suspects including those who claimed to have been arrested along the street of the venue of the Atiku Support Organisation meeting in Port Harcourt, were arraigned on counts bothering on alleged  conspiracy, cultism, and unlawful gathering.

When the matter was mentioned in court, the suspects did not take plea, but the presiding Chief Magistrate, Collins Ali directed that the case file be transmitted to the office of Director of Public Prosecution for advice and information.

The magistrate’s decision followed the fact that the charge was said to be moved on exparte application. He thereafter directed that the suspects be remanded in Nigeria Correctional facility and adjourned till March 22, 2023 for bail consideration.

Speaking to journalists after the court proceedings, a Port Harcourt based legal practitioner, Victor Orokor, who was present at the court condemned  the police for the charges against the defendants, stressing that people should be given liberty to vote the candidate of their choice.

Orokor said :”On the part of the government not judiciary because a magistrate will always look at what is before him and act in accordance with the law.” 

“But on the area of the prosecution, the police, precisely, the Commissioner of Police who is now obviously an ally of the governor, I think the proceedings, the whole thing is malicious.

“Is  it targeted at the political envoy of Atiku. Because these men were not arrested with  anything. There was no destruction of any property. There was nothing incriminating in their possession, no broken bottles, no vehicle was damaged, absolutely nothing. These are responsible citizens.

“It is unfortunate that people cannot support the candidate of their choice. The governor needs to have to a rethink of the whole thing, we need a free Rivers state where we vote candidate, support candidate of our choice. Whoever emerges as the winner we give the person our full support, at that point it becomes one Rivers state.”

 Source: https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2023/02/07/court-remands-atiku-support-organisation-members-in-rivers/amp/