Daud Olatunji
Two men, Arinze Nwogba and Sunday Nweke, have been arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged impersonation of the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Segun Aina, and other offences bordering on fraud and cybercrime.
The defendants were re-arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Salim Ibrahim on a seven-count amended charge following the arrest of Nweke, who was alleged to have acted alongside Nwogba.
Both defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to all seven counts after the charges were read to them in court.
At the proceedings, police counsel, Stanley Medugu, asked the court to direct that the amended charges be read to the defendants to enable them to enter their pleas.
Defence counsel, Ifeanyi Nworie, did not oppose the application but informed the court that Nweke required an Igbo interpreter because he did not understand English.
Following the provision of an interpreter, the charges were read to the defendants, who denied the allegations.
After their pleas, Medugu requested a trial date to enable the prosecution to establish its case against the defendants.
Nworie did not oppose the request for a trial date but urged the court to allow Nwogba to retain the bail earlier granted to him, arguing that the amended charges were substantially similar to the original charges filed against his client.
The defence counsel also informed the court that an application for Nweke’s bail would be filed when it was ready.
The prosecution did not oppose the request for Nwogba to continue enjoying his existing bail conditions.
Consequently, Justice Ibrahim ordered that Nwogba should remain on the earlier bail terms but directed that Nweke be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending further proceedings.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case until November 25 for trial.
Nwogba was initially arraigned by the Inspector-General of Police on October 2 on a six-count charge over allegations of impersonation and other criminal offences reportedly committed with accomplices who were still at large at the time.
He was remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre after pleading guilty at the initial proceedings and was granted bail in the sum of N50m, with two sureties, on October 7.
The court had earlier fixed October 19 for the commencement of his trial. However, at the resumed hearing, the prosecution informed the court that an amended charge had been filed following Nweke’s arrest.
The development led to the defendants’ re-arraignment on the amended seven-count charge.
The case is expected to resume on November 25, when proceedings are scheduled to begin.
The allegations against the defendants remain unproven, as both men pleaded not guilty to the amended charges.
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