A Rivers State High Court has ordered {that a} bench warrant towards a former Anambra State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) guber aspirant, Walter Okeke, which can be now revealed in well-circulating nationwide newspapers.
Okeke is standing trial for case of theft of oil servicing supplies value N800 million belonging to Ifeanyi Amaonye, a Port Harcourt-based businessman, who can be his tenant.
Justice Chinwendu Nwogu issued the order on Tuesday, whereas delivering a ruling in an oral utility raised by the Attorney-General of Rivers State in a case towards Okeke (Charge No. PHC/924/CR/2023: The State v. Walter Ubaka Okeke).
The decide mentioned he agreed with the prosecutor, Chidi Eke, a deputy director within the Ministry of Justice, that the oral utility for ‘leave of court’ to publish was so as.
The defence counsel, E.S Ekene, had objected to the oral utility, saying it required ‘motion on notice.’
In his ruling, Nwogu traced the historical past of the bench warrant to 2023 and confirmed how the defendant had remained elusive and had gone on enchantment towards the bench warrant.
The decide dominated that when a courtroom is glad {that a} defendant was bent on evading trial, the courtroom could be beneath obligation to order the bench warrant to be revealed within the newspapers. He mentioned that is to safe the help of all safety companies to assist in apprehending the accused and bringing him/her to courtroom for trial.
The decide ordered that Okeke be apprehended wherever on the planet and dropped at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre. He fastened resumption of trial on November 30, 2026. Okeke’s lawyer was not in courtroom to listen to the ruling, having earlier the day past knowledgeable the courtroom that he had a crowded day in different courts.
Explaining the background and implications of the courtroom ruling to newsmen outdoors the courtroom, Eke, the Deputy Director, Department of Public Prosecution, Rivers State, and the Prosecuting Counsel within the case involving the State is prosecuting Okeke for the alleged offense dedicated a few years in the past. “Today, the courtroom has granted our utility to publish a bench warrant earlier issued towards him earlier than he disappeared to the United Kingdom, evading look or fairly concealing himself to frustrate that bench warrant from being executed.
“So right this moment, the courtroom has granted us order, depart of courtroom, to publish the mentioned bench warrant in any variety of the nationwide dailies, so that each effort could be made to have him arrested and introduced earlier than the courtroom on the following adjourned date, being November 30, 2026.
On the implications, he mentioned it could assist increase nationwide consciousness that such a person is needed, “and that he’s a fugitive within the eyes of the legislation. It can be a declaration that the legislation will go to any size to have him arrested wherever on the planet.
“Once this order is registered with the appropriate authorities, and they see that publication in the newspaper confirming that indeed the court issued that order and granted the leave that it should be published in the national dailies anywhere he is, they’ll fish him out and produce him before the court.”
The deputy director made it clear that no one is above the legislation. “It doesn’t matter what workplace you occupy, it doesn’t matter what title you bear, it doesn’t matter your standing in society; the legislation is the legislation, and the legislation will take its course.
“If you go contrary to the law, the law will come after you. It doesn’t matter how long—there is no limitation to prosecution. If you run away, whenever we get you, we resume.”
He additionally mentioned it is a warning to folks of excessive standing in society. “The entire essence of prosecution and punishment is deterrence. The most necessary factor that punishment does when judgment is obtained towards a defendant is deterrence. It’s for as soon as those that have that penchant to commit crime to say keep away from crime. It doesn’t pay; in any other case, you’ll be humiliated on the finish of the day.
“That is the whole essence of the law in a sane society, which was what we are trying to make Nigeria to look like, where law speaks and where no persons will be seen in the society as above the law. Nobody is above the law.”
Eke suggested the fleeing accused, saying that surrendering is the most suitable choice. “The course of is for him to look earlier than the courtroom. Any aid he seeks can solely be when he’s earlier than the courtroom. But the thought of attempting to frustrate the course of justice by making himself unavailable to face trial for a few years now’s unsuitable. He even went on enchantment, and that enchantment was dismissed. He didn’t comply with it up with additional enchantment, but, he doesn’t need to seem earlier than the High Court that made an order that he ought to come.
“If people should continue to be allowed to do that, then there is no law. The law would end up being a mockery. The law is the law and is above everybody. If the law says appear, you have to appear. Even as a lawyer talking, if I go contrary to the law, if I find myself on the wrong side of the law, this gown and wig that I’m wearing will not come to my aid. It will even be worse that I am a lawyer who knows the law, that I should have known better not to go or be on the wrong side of the law, but always work within the ambit of the law.”
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