By Ise-Oluwa Ige
Posted to the Web: Friday, December 30, 2005

The arraignment brought to two the number of former executive office holders protected by constitutional immunity, that were charged to court over alleged crime while holding office.

Former Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha, was the first to be dragged before the court of law to face trial.

Mbadinuju who looked sober and dejected in the dock was said to have conspired with some criminals, still at large, to arrange the death of the two lawyers. The charge did not give reasons why the governor arranged the killing of the former NBA boss.

Late Igwe and his pregnant wife, Amaka, were assassinated three years and four months ago while on a visit to a family friend in Awada Layout, Onitsha.
According to reports, the former NBA boss (Igwe) and his wife were shot several times by assassins in their private car. After several gun-shots, the assassins allegedly moved closer to the dying couple and inflicted several machete cuts on them before using a vehicle to run over their bodies again and again to ensure that they did not survive the attack.

The assassination followed several death-threat telephone calls received by the couple over a 21-day ultimatum issued the Mbadinuju-led Anambra State government by the Onitsha branch of the NBA led by the late Igwe on salary arrears owed civil servants.

Soon after the death of the couple, several people accused Chief Mbadinuju of masterminding the killing even though he was away to Houston-Texas at the time the incident occurred. The former state governor denied his involvement.

But, in a dramatic turn yesterday, the police dragged the former governor before the Chief Magistrate Court, Jabi for the killing. They said their three-year investigation revealed that it was the former governor that arranged the murder and spread several millions of naira to a number of police investigators to either stop investigation in the case or cover him up.

Also arraigned with him for the murder was one young man, Daniel Anyiego. Anyiego was arraigned for allegedly collecting money from the governor to bribe investigators and powerful security men interested in the case to conceal the real identity of the killers.

But little was known of Anyiego’s identity at press time as the police themselves said he (Anyiego) was a man of no known address.
The duo of Mbadinuju and Anyiego were brought to court by the police in a Peugeot 406 car about noon. They were neither handcuffed nor leg-chained. They looked unruffled until they were called into the dock.

In the not-too-spacious dock, Chief Mbadinuju who wore a red shirt atop a pair of black trousers. Much of the times he was looking down, feeling shy. But he braced up and comported himself immediately the chief magistrate motioned to the court registrar to read the First Information Report (FIR) (charges) already prepared by the police to the accused persons.

The First Information Report (FIR) read out to them:
* That you Chief Chimaroke Mbadinuju, former Governor of Anambra State is accused of criminal conspiracy; abetment of an offence of culpable homicide punishable with death;

* Giving false information with intent to mislead public servants;
* Causing disappearance of evidence and giving false information to shield an offender ;

* Third party benefitting from gratification to shield an officer contrary to sections 97, 84, 162, 121 and 168 of the Penal Code;
* That on or about the 1st day of September 2002 and November 2005, you Chimaroke Mbadinuju, ex-Governor of Anambra State of No 135, Adetokunboh Ademola Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja and Daniel Anyiego of no definite address conspired amongst yourselves and with others at large and agreed to do an illegal act to wit: you use your position and engaged the service of persons whose identity is yet to be unraveled and you aided and facilitated the killing of Barrister B C Igwe, Chairman of the NBA, Onitsha branch and his wife and you gave false information to the police with intent to mislead the police from the true facts of the circumstances of the killing of Barrister and Mrs Igwe;

* That you know and have reason to believe that an offence of murder instigated by you has been committed whereas you caused the evidence of the offence to disappear with the intention of shielding the said persons who committed the offence from legal punishments. In furtherance of your dishonest intention, on or about the month of October 2002 and November 2005, you gave gratifications to the tune of several millions of naira for the concealment of the said offence in order to avoid legal punishment. Investigation has revealed that you Daniel Anyiego, male, received several millions of naira at Rockview Hotels, Abuja from Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju for distribution to security officers to serve as inducement to the security officers to avoid investigations and legal punishments. You hereby committed the above named offences.

Almost immediately the accused persons entered their pleas, the prosecution counsel, Mr Ibrahim Bako urged the court to remand them in prison, saying investigation was on-going in respect of the foot-soldiers allegedly used by the governor to murder the two lawyers. He told the court that the police were ready to go ahead with the prosecution of the case as soon as possible.

But counsel to the former governor, Messrs Gabriel Egbele and Sina Oluwole Femi, orally applied for his bail. It was Mr Egbele that addressed the court first. He invited the court to admit Mbadinuju to bail pending commencement of trial in the case, saying his client (Mbadinuju) was a responsible Nigerian and a lawyer who would not jump bail if granted or interfere with police investigation. Besides, he said at the moment, the accused was not feeling fine.

Opposing the bail application, counsel to the police, Mr Bako said the mere fact that counsel to Mbadinuju said his client was ill was not enough a reason for the court to admit him to bail, having not exhibited any documentary evidence to back up his claim. Bako further told the court that though the grant of bail was purely the discretion of the court, he would implore the court not to move in favour of Mbadinuju because the police were yet to be through with the investigation of the case.

“I also want the court to take cognizance of the national importance of the case. Granting him bail at this point will not be in the interest of justice,” he said.
The Chief Magistrate, Mr Usma Shuaibu, however, did not write his ruling yesterday on the ground that the submissions made were lengthy. He, consequently, adjourned delivery of the ruling till January 3, next year.
But the Chief Magistrate ordered that the former governor and his alleged accomplice be remanded in prison till same date.