By CHARLES IWUOHA

An Ebonyi High Court sitting in Obiozara, Ohaozara LGA of the state, has dismissed a forgery and impersonation case leveled against members of the Executive committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oguduokwor Ward in Onicha LGA by the expelled former National Vice Chairman of the in the Southeast, Mr. Ali Odefa.

Odefa had in October 2024 upon his suspension by the party Executive, connived with some operatives of the Nigerian Police from Ebonyi State Police Command and abducted the trio of Hon Sunday Ogbonnaya Idika, Hon. Njoku Nwagu and Hon Obinna Chukwu.

Also dismissed alongside, a former state acting Chairman of PDP, Dr. Augustine Nwazunku, whom they subsequently arraigned before the court for forgery, impersonation and being members of a secret cult group.

The four were initially taken before a Magistrate Court which declined jurisdiction, but remanded them in Abakaliki prison where they were later transferred to Afikpo prison from where they were re-arraigned before Justice G. N. Ugbala of the State High Court.

The four wrongly accused were in detention since October 6, 2024 when they were violently abducted and on December 12, 2024 when they were granted bail by the High Court.

When their trial commenced, neither the police nor Mr. Ali Odefa was able to present any evidence to back up the spurious and malicious accusations leveled against the party officials.

According to one of the lawyers to the party officials who spoke to News Express, Barrister Friday Nwazunku ?it was obvious that neither Mr. Odefa nor the DPP had any case against the accused, it was just a case of misuse of the police to intimidate people in the name of politics.?

News Express gathered that the presiding judge, Hon Justice G. N. Ugbala expressed displeasure over the inability of both Mr. Odefa and the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP) to diligently prosecute the matter.

Consequently, on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 when the matter came up in court, the lead Counsel to the PDP Executives, Chief Mudi Erhenede moved a motion for the court to strike out the matter as it was obvious that there was no evidence to back up the accusations leveled against the PDP officials.

In his ruling, Justice Ugbala granted the motion and struck out and discharged all the four defendants.

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