By Godwin Anene
A governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Farah Dagogo, has been remanded by a Magistrate Court in Port Harcourt, a day after he was arrested on the order of Governor Nyseom Wike.
Dagogo, a House of Representatives members from Rivers, was arraigned on two count –charge of conspiracy and instigating cult activities.
The development follows the arrest the day before of Dagogo, member representing Degema-Bonny Federal Constituency while he visited the South South Zonal Secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirants screening in Port Harcourt.
Chief Magistrate Amadi Nna,l who presiding over the matter remanded the Defendant despite the Defense counsel’s opposition to the arraignment and application made by the prosecution counsel for the Defendant to take his plea in court.
The Defense Counsel, S.B. Babatubo stressed that the prosecution did not comply with the provisions of section 300 Sub-2 and section 3B of the practice direction of the Rivers State Magistrate Court Number 7, 2002, as the court lack jurisdiction to hear the case.
Defence further argued that with regards to the relevant sections of the law, the prosecution ought to have come with application of experte for a remand which he said was not complied with in the case.
Chief Magistrate Amadi Nna, after listening to arguments by both Counsel’s agreed with the Defense Counsel and asked the prosecution to do the needful, thereafter remanded the Defendant Farah Dagogo in Police custody and adjourned the case to 9 May, 2022.
Batubo further emarked that the charge against their client is above the threshold of what the Magistrate Court can carry.
Prosecution Counsel, from the Department of Public Prosecution Rivers State Chidi Ekeh, said the Defendant could not take his plea because some sections of the Law were not complied with.
