Whistle-blower sent to prison custody for giving false information about Ekweremadu

tribuneonlineng.com

Senator Ike Ekweremadu

FOR giving false information that led to the raiding of the house of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, an Upper Area court sitting in Gudu in Abuja, on Tuesday, ordered the remand of one Ahmed Echoda in Keffi prison.

Echoda was earlier arraigned by the Inspector General of Police (IGP) on one-count charge of criminal conspiracy and giving false information to mislead public servant contrary to sections 97(1) and 140 of penal code.

The defendant pleaded not guilty to the one-count charge when it was read to him in court.

The defendant, who was given chance to speak in court, said the police had not proven to him how he passed false information.

“I neither passed written nor verbal information to the police,” he told the court.

The defence counsel, Mr Peter Ugwuoke, applied for bail of the defendant.

Prosecution counsel, David Taiwo, opposed the bail application, arguing that the offence was not bailable

“The accused may tamper with investigation since one of the accused persons is still at large

“Therefore, we are praying the court to refuse this bail application,” he said.

After listening to both parties, the Chief Magistrate, Umar Kagarko, adjourned till June 5 for ruling on the bail application.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ekweremadu, on Tuesday, commended the Inspector General of Police, on the prosecution.

Reacting to the arraignment of the suspect, Ekweremadu said such would serve as a lesson to other false whistle-blowers and agencies of government.

Ekweremadu, in a statement by his Media Aide, Uche Anichukwu, said: “I want to give the police hierarchy the benefit of doubt that it did not authorise the impunity, harassment, and witch-hunt executed by police officers on my official guest house last Friday, and that the police were misled.

“I hope the swift arraignment of the alleged whistle-blowers will be emulated by other security and anti-corruption agencies and also serve as a deterrent to those who lend themselves as willing tools to people to intimidate and persecute others as well as tarnish their image for whatever motives.

“But beyond the arraignment, I urge the police to dig deeper to determine if there were influential masterminds behind the incident.

“Perhaps, if the attempt on my life on November 17, 2015 was taken seriously by the security agencies, those who desperately seek to destroy me by all means possible would have been fished out or had a rethink,” Ekweremadu added.

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