JUST IN: Court Remands Delta Senator, Nwaoboshi In Ikoyi Prison

A serving Nigerian Senator, Chief Peter Nwaoboshi was on Wednesday remanded in Ikoyi Prison by the Federal High Court in Lagos pending ruling on his bail application. He is to remain behind bars until April 27, the court ruled.

Nwaoboshi had appeared before the court charged with a N805 millon fraud by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The senator representing Delta North, was arraigned on two counts of money laundering and fraud alongside two companies — Golden Touch Construction Project Ltd and Suiming Electrical Ltd.

He had entered a plea of `not guilty’.

Arguing his bail application before the court, the defence counsel, Dr. V. J. O. Azinge (SAN) , urged the court to grant the accused bail on self-recognizance as a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In the bail application brought pursuant to the provisions of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act as well as the 1999 Constitution, Azinge told the court: “Where it is not inclined to granting bail on recognizance, then bail should be made on liberal terms.

Among other grounds for the application, Azinge informed the court that the accused was a cardiac patient, who required constant health checks.

She also argued that as a Senator and senior citizen, the accused sits at the Upper Legislative Chambers and has a mandatory requirement to represent his constituency.

According to the defence counsel, the charge against the accused had lingered since 2017, and noted that the accused was granted administrative bail by the commission, he never jumped bail.

She added that the accused is a qualified lawyer of 28 years experience and described him as an “oracle and a man of integrity”.

She urged the court to grant the bail application.

But the EFCC Prosecutor, Mr M. S. Abubakar, opposed the application and urged the court to refuse bail and order the remand of the accused.

He said it was not the duty of the defence counsel to dictate to the court the manner it will undertake proceedings, adding it is purely the court’s discretion.