Justice S.I. Opara of the Imo State High Court in Owerri has denied the immediate past Deputy Governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona, bail.
The judge denied Irona’s bail request on Wednesday after listening to the arguments from parties in the suit.
Irona was arraigned last week Thursday by the Imo State Police Command on a three count charges bordering on treason.
Following his arraignment, the magistrate oredered that he be remanded in the state correctional facility as she did not have the jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The case was subsequently transfered to the state high court in Owerri, the imo state capital.
The bail application: Irona through his lawyer had prayed to be granted bail on self recognition.
He told the court that his client who is a former member of the House of Representatives and immediate past deputy governor of the state, was qualified in the eyes of the law to be granted bail.
However, at today’s proceeding, the prosecution counsel contended that the bail application was filed on Monday evening of which the prosecution counsel was not given enough time to file their counter-bail affidavit as stipulated by law.
He argued that said it would be unlawful to entertain the bail application when a the prosecutors are yet to file a counter-bail application.
Bail denial: After listening to the arguments from both parties in the suit, the presiding judge denied Irona bail. The judge also adjourned the matter till March 22 to enable the prosecutors, file their counter-bail affidavit.
Charges against Irona: Nairametrics reported that Irona was arrested at about 10:15 am on Wednesday March 8, at his residence in Owerri, the Imo State capital. The charges against him reads thus:
- “That you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did conspired with others now at large, to commit felony to wit: treason and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37(2) of the criminal code, cap c 38, law of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo State.
- “That you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did make several utterances to the effect that you will make Imo state ungovernable and immediately afterwards hoodlums levied several attacks on Imo state with intent to intimidate or overawe the governor of Imo state and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37 of the criminal code, cap, c 38, law of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo State.
- “That you Hon Gerald Irona on the 15th day of January, 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, do converted to your own use two land cruiser jeep ( V8 and v6) and one Toyota Hilux vehicle valued four hundred and Ninety three million naira property of Imo state government thereby committed an offence punishable under section 390 ( 9) of the criminal code, cap c 38, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo State.”
