Secret Reporters
Reports reaching secrets Reporters News desk reveals that, a case of kidnapping being prosecuted by the Commissioner of Police in Charge of Cross River State, CP Jimoh Ozi-Obeh between a complainant, Mr. Akim Chima Peter Managing Director of The Just Electrical Works and suspects Ibem Odo, who is the MD, Energovod Engineering Nigeria Ltd, Engr. Emeka Chibuzor, Project Manager Energovod Engr. Nig. Ltd and Mr. Anih Paulinus, Security Staff of Niger Delta Power Holding Company Ltd.
Recollect that, Secrets Reporters had earlier in September 17, 2016, exposed how the Cross River State police Commissioner, Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, freed kidnapping suspects after his palms were greased and how Engr. Emeka Chibuzor, one of the kidnapped suspects was arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court 1, Moore road, Calabar on the 19th August, 2016, on a three Count Charge of Conspiracy, assault occasioning harm and kidnapping and was granted bail by Chief Magistrate Mr. E. E Edoghie in the sum of N100,000 with one surety who resides within Calabar.
Further reports by our eagle eyed reporters, further exposed how CP Jimoh Ozi-Obeh after freeing the kidnapping suspects, ordered the Officer-In-Charge of Legal Prosecution Section, Police Command Headquarters, Calabar, SP George Enoch alongside the Investigative Police Officer, Inspectorr. Nsa Okoi to rewrite their report that there was no kidnap which runs contrary to the earlier legal advice of SP George Enoch which led to the arraignment of one of the kidnap suspects, Engr. Emeka Chibuzor alongside others at large.
Credible sources within the Police State Command Headquarters, Calabar, revealed that, the refusal of the former OC Legal Prosecution Section Police State Command Headquarters, Calabar, SP George Enoch, to do the bidding of his Commissioner of Police, CP Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, led to a very hot Police Signal directing him to immediately hand over all legal case files in his possession to his 2i/c and proceed to an interior village in Abi local government area, as his punishment for disobeying lawful order from CP Jimoh Ozi-Obeh to cover up alleged crimes of kidnapping with substantial evidence and subsequently redeployed to Rivers State Police Command Headquarters, due to his knowledge on the job.
We further gathered on good authority that, the complainant on noticing the foul game being played by CP Jimoh Ozi-Obeh, in conniving with high profile suspects in evading arrest and prosecution, petitioned the presidency for CP Jimoh Ozi-Obeh to be investigated over his alleged crimes of aiding, abetting and shielding kidnap suspects under his investigation.
Reliable sources within the presidency confirmed that several petitions over the issue have been redirected to the Inspector General of Police to investigate Jimoh Ozi-Obeh over allegations against him.
When our Reporters visited the Office of the Inspector General of Police late last year to inquire why CP Jimoh Ozi-Obeh was not investigated by the Police Headquarters, highly placed sources informed us that, petitions against Jimoh Ozi-Obeh directed from Presidency to the IG Jimoh Ozi-Obeh to investigate allegations against himself.
One of such approvals we obtained from the presidency with policy number MPA/PSD/0034/T6/II to IGP Ibrahim Idris was further directed to CP Jimoh Ozi-Obeh in charge of Cross River State via policy number CZ: 7050/IGP SEC/ABJ/Vol.106/794 to investigate his own alleged crimes, thus leading to a very high level of conspiracy within the office of Ibrahim Idris led Nigeria Police Force.
Secret Reporters also gathered from the complainant, Akim Chima, that on noticing the conspiracy between the police authorities and the suspects, he petitioned through his lawyer, Barr. Raymond Manga to the Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice, Cross River State, for the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) in his office to take over the kidnapping case file from police prosecutors in the command headquarters in Calabar, citing reasons of bias and arraigning the suspects under the old law of kidnapping which has been repealed as against the new laws of kidnapping under which the kidnap suspects, Engr. Emeka Chibuzor and his cohorts ought to have been arraigned.
The old law we gathered carries maximum sentence of 10 years for convicted kidnappers in Cross River State as against the new law of kidnapping which prescribes death sentence for convicted kidnappers. When the case came up for hearing on Thursday 19th January, 2017 at the Chief Magistrate Court 1 Calabar, the State Counsel from the Attorney General’s Office, Police Prosecutor and the Defense Counsel were all present in Court except the defendant himself, with the defence counsel citing health reasons for his absence.
The State Counsel informed the Chief Magistrate of the directives from the Attorney General/Commissioner for Justice to take over the case file for prosecution.
The Defence Counsel objected but was overruled by Chief Magistrate E. E Egohie stating that he has no such powers to disobey the directives of the Attorney General of the State vested with such powers by the constitution. He thereby ordered Police Prosecutor to duplicate the case file and handover to DDP for further advice and possible prosecution.
The Magistrate adjourned the case to 21st March 2017 for proper handing over where all parties including the defendant, must be present in Court.
With the latest action of DPP taking over the case file, it is very certain that on the next adjourned date, the defendant will be remanded in prison custody pending further advice and actions from DPP.