Tina Amanda
A Magistrate court in Port Harcourt has denied bail to the now popular ‘Ikoku four’, the colleagues of late Chima Ikwunabo who were arrested, detained and tortured by the E Crack Squad of the Nigerian Police, at the Mile one area of Rivers state.
Chief Magistrate A.O Amadi refused to grant bail with reasons that the court lacks jurisdiction to hear the matter.
The Chief Magistrate had earlier on the 9th of January when the four Defendants were arraigned before his court by the police, made an order transferring the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP, for legal opinion and remanded the four in prison custody.
During the court proceeding, Rueben Wanogho filed an application for bail for the Defendants.
Chief Magistrate Amadi however said, he has already ruled and cannot overrule the court, stressing that the matter cannot be heard in a lower court.
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Reuben Wanogho, Counsel to the Ikoku four, told newsmen that they are working to ensure their release, adding that they have filed motions in the High Court.
“The case was called at our instance, we filed an application for their bail before the lower court that remanded them in the first place because we felt the Magistrate ought not to have remanded them.
“In the Magistrate’s opinion, since he has made an order transferring the case file to DPP office for a legal opinion, the court has become “functus official” in order words, the court business as regarded that case is finished, the court cannot overrule itself. But, thankfully we have already filed motions in the high court for the bail of the four of them that are alive.
“We hope that any moment from now, we should be able to get those motions assigned and secure a date to take those applications.
“We are very hopeful that all things being equal, they should be released on bail because the offences levelled against them are bailable by the high court”
Our correspondent, Tina Amanda, gathered that the Ikoku four by name: Victor Ogbonna, Osaze Friday, Ifeanyi Osuji and Ifeanyi Onyekwere, who was accused of cultism, snatching of car and armed robbery, were absent in court.
