A River State magistrate court has remanded 15 members of the Peoples Democratic Party to the Port Harcourt Correctional Center for allegedly disrupting the screening at the Rivers State party secretariat on Wednesday.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge of alleged felony, conspiracy and unlawful gathering to breach the peace.
Counsel to the defendants, Chigozie Baduwa, S. B. Batubo and O. L. Bigini, moved for bail application Which was opposed by the Principal State Counsel, Chidi Eke, who urged the court to remand the accused persons for proper prosecution.
The Presiding Chief Magistrate, Amadi Nna, ordered that the suspects be remanded, adjourning the matter to May 26, 2022, for bail consideration.
“This implies that innocent students, innocent citizens will be made to suffer at the custodial centre for offences they know nothing about.
“For offences that there is no scintilla of evidence, for offences that the state knows that is a lie intended to intimidate or cow persons who have demonstrated support, who have exercised their right to choose who they will support in electioneering.
“But since the magistrate decided to exercise his discretion in favour of the respondent by adjourning for consideration of bail next month, we also have other options to explore.
“We can either decide to wait till that day for the court to grant the defendants bail or we go ahead with other options we have to see that the defendants are granted bail. It is a bailable offence,” he stated.
