An Ebonyi High Court sitting in Obiozara, Ohaozara, has dismissed a forgery and impersonation case leveled against members of the Executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Oguduokwor Ward in Onicha LGA by the expelled former National Vice Chairman of the party in the South-East, Mr. Ali Odefa.
They included Hon Sunday Ogbonnaya Idika, Hon. Njoku Nwagu and Hon Obinna Chukwu.
Also freed is a former state acting chairman of the PDP, Dr. Augustine Nwazunku, who was arraigned before the court for forgery, impersonation and being member of a secret cult group.
The four were initially taken before a Magistrate Court which declined jurisdiction, but remanded them in Abakaliki prison where they were later transferred to Afikpo prison re-arraigned before Justice G. N. Ugbala of the State High Court.
When their trial commenced, neither the police nor Mr. Ali Odefa was able to present any evidence to back up the accusations leveled against the party officials.
According to one of the lawyers to the party officials who spoke to DAILY POST, Barrister Friday Nwazunku “it was obvious that neither Mr. Odefa nor the DPP had any case against the accused, it was just a case of misuse of the police to intimidate people in the name of politics.”
DAILY POST, gathered that the presiding judge, Hon Justice G. N. Ugbala expressed displeasure over the inability of both Mr. Odefa and the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) to diligently prosecute the matter.
Consequently, on Tuesday March 4, 2025 when the matter came up in court, the lead Counsel to the PDP Executives, Chief Mudi Erhenede moved a motion for the court to strike out the matter as it was obvious that there was no evidence to back up the accusations leveled against the PDP officials.
In his ruling, Justice Ugbala granted the motion, struck out the case and discharged all the four defendants.