By Ruth Oginyi
The Ebonyi State Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Chika Nwoba, on Wednesday Slumped in the court.
He collapsed in front of Magistrate Court 2 in the Abakaliki Judicial District when he was brought to the court for arraignment by police.
Nwoba was arrested on Sunday morning by operatives of the Ebonyi State Ebubeagu Security and handed over to the police for prosecution. He has been in police detention since on Sunday.
The PDP chieftain was to be arraigned before the state Magistrate Court sitting in Abakaliki, the state capital, for alleged publication of fake news on his social media handle (Facebook).
Police said the publication was meant to cause break down of law and order hence the offense was punishable under section 516 A (a) of the State Criminal Code.
Nwoba’s suspected ill health generated anxiety in the court as he was taken out of the court premises in police van.
He was later brought back to the court to face charges preferred against him.
PDP lying down on the floor of the court
The Magistrate, Blessing Chukwu, ordered that Nwoba be taken to the police clinic for medical attention following the objection of his arraignment by the defense counsel, Luke Nkwegu, on the ground that the defendant was not physically fit for arraignment.
The Magistrate ordered that the defendant should be brought back to the court on the 14th of January after treatment for continuation of his trial.
The prosecuting counsel, Mathias Eze, who opposed the objection of Nwoba’s arraignment told journalists that there were no indices that Chika Nwoba was sick before he was brought to court, arguing that he was hale and hearty.
But counsel to the defendant, Luke Nkwegu alleged that Nwoba was tortured while in police detention thus his collapse.
