Councillor, Assembly aspirant, one other remanded in Enugu

The crisis in Enugu state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday deepened as a councillor representing Isuawa/Adukwu\Agbudu ward in Awgu legislative council, Hon. Solomon Okolo, and two other PDP stalwarts were remanded in Enugu prison on Wednesday for alleged break and entry to steal the legislative mace.
The chieftains, Mr. Enekwachi Ray Onyimba, who is an aspirant for the House of Assembly, and Mr. Emeka Izunna, were both charged with illegal possession of police uniforms.

The development has worsened the current political crisis rocking Awgu local government council which legislative council has broken into two parallel factions of five and six with each group holding separate sittings.
The Awgu council crisis is believed to be part of the political disagreement between Governor Sullivan Chime and Senator Ike Ekweremadu, over who represents Enugu West senatorial district in 2015. Even though the trio pleaded not guilty to the charges, the presiding Magistrate of Awgu Magistrate’s Court, Mr. S O. Chukwuani, refused to grant them bail but fixed hearing for further arguments on November 7, 2014.

Counsel to the three accused persons, Mr. Chukwuemeka Agu, made a strong case for their bail, insisting that it was a political issue and not criminal matter allaying himself to the prosecutors’ submission which admitted it was political problem and insisted on their bail but the magistrate ordered for their remand in prison custody.
But the police prosecutor, Cletus Ogiri, objected to the bail argument and maintained that the charge was that of house-breaking and stealing, adding that “more so when the police is still investigating the matter that took place on Tuesday.”
He wondered why the police could not finish investigation before hurrying to arraign the accused persons.
The prosecutor stressed that if granted bail, police investigation would be biased or punctured and more harm could be done to the Awgu legislative crisis.