By TAIYE AGBAJE

The Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr. Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, has taken over the prosecution of a case involving an estate developer, Miss Uzoamaka Onukwubiri.

The AGF’s lawyer, Ndidi Okoha, told Justice Musa Liman, following the arraignment and remand of Onukwubiri, in Suleja Correctional Centre on allegations bordering on forgery and obtaining of property under false pretence.

Justice Liman had ordered her remand on Thursday and adjourned the matter until Dec. 1 for ruling on the bail application after it was argued.

Onukwubiri, the Managing Director of Sow Real Estate, was initially being prosecuted by the police on a 9-count charge before the takeover of the case by the AGF.

Okoha from the Department of Public Prosecution (DPP), Federal Ministry of Justice, informed the court that the alleged offences are contrary to Section 3 (6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) Act 2004.

The lawyer said the offence is punishable under Sections 1 (2) (C) of the same Act.

After the charges were read to her in the dock, Onukwubiri pleaded not guilty to all the counts.

Following the plea of not guilty by the defendant, the prosecution counsel asked for a date for trial.

However, the defence counsel, Joel Okoli, informed the court of a subsisting bail application on behalf of the defendant.

He then moved the application praying the court to admit the defendant bail as the alleged offences are ordinary bailable in nature.

He cited relevant sections of the constitution pertaining to bail pending trial in urging the court to admit her on bail.

Okoli further prayed the court to take into consideration that the defendant was on an administrative bail by the prosecution.

But responding to the bail application, the prosecution counsel urged the court to reject same as there is a likelihood of defendant jumping bail and interfering with the trial.

She urged the court to consider the content of the counter-affidavit deposed to by Michael Akawo, a litigation officer from the DPP, filed on Nov. 18 against the bail application and to exercise its discretion against the defendant.

After listening to submissions of both counsel for and against the bail application, Justice Liman adjourned the ruling until December 1.

The judge ordered that the defendant should be remanded in Suleja Correctional Centre pending the ruling.

Speaking after the proceedings, Jerry Edemeka who appeared as a counsel watching the brief of the nominal complainant, Ideal Grace Consulting Ltd, expressed satisfaction with the proceedings and confidence with the court.

However, Onukwubiri, through her lawyer, filed a motion seeking for abridgement of time within which to deliver the ruling on the bail application on health grounds.

The matter was then fixed for today for ruling on the defendant’s bail application.

Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Liman admitted Onukwubiri to N50 million bail with a surety in the like sum who must have a property worth the bail sum.

One of the counts is in the charge accused Onukwubiri, 42 years old, of conspiring amongst themselves, on or about Nov. 29, 2019, to “commit felony to with forgery.”

The offence is contrary to Section 3(6) of the Miscellaneous Offences Act, Cap M17 of the Revised Edition (Laws of the Federation of Nigeria) Act 2004 and punishable under 1(2)(c) of the same Act, among other counts. (NAN)