Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), on Monday, whisked away, Edozie Njoku, factional National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), from the premises of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Bwari, as the leadership crisis rocking the party continues to record more drama.
Njoku was arrested and taken to the police station, but was later released after his accuser withdrew the case of threat to life, which he had earlier complained about in the court and filed before the police.
It was the turning of another bend for Njoku, who was in court in continuation of his trial on charges bordering on forgery, in which he was said to have tampered with court papers.
Early warning of what was to be came to the fore when Ezekiel Rinamsomte, prosecution counsel, told the court of how Njoku in the verbal threat prior to the commencement of the proceedings, how he and his family, were going to untold calamity.
Rinamsomte said the complaint had already been lodged at the Bwari divisional police station.
“I had already exchanged pleasantries with the defendant when we met in court. But I was surprised when he came back to issue threats. The next thing this man started telling me was that he was going to send calamities upon calamities upon my family; that members of my family will be dying and that he would deal with me.
“I asked him what have I done, he said he was a very dangerous man. He said he was the reason why the director of litigation of the supreme court, Mr Dikko, was removed and dismissed.
“That he was going to shake the Nigerian police force, that he was the reason why the daughter of (Onyechi) Ikpeazu, SAN, died, and that he was going to deal with everybody in this case.”
But Njoku, who denied the allegation, told Mohammed Madugu, the presiding judge: “My lord, I only said that anybody in this case who lied against me to go to jail or send anyone to prison by telling lie, calamity will befall that person.
“I neither mentioned anything about the late Ikpeazu’s daughter nor made any such comments attributed to me by the prosecutor.”
Stressing on his earlier comments, he told reporters after the court session: “The prosecutor made a terrible claim against me and he has already brought policemen to arrest me. That is their option B. It looks as if their initial case against me is dead.”
Rinamsomte had sought to withdraw the amended charges filed against Njoku and Chukwuemeka Nwoga, which Panam Ntui, his defence counsel did not oppose.
Consequently, the judge granted the application and fixed April 27 for the continuation of the trial.