The member representing Etche/Omuma Federal Constituency of Rivers State in the House of Representatives, Ephraim Nwuzi, was on Wednesday, remanded at the Port Harcourt prison by a Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The lawmaker was sent to prison on charges of treasonable felony, conspiracy, motion of communal crisis and inciting violence preferred against him by the police.
The court order is coming two days before the general election in which he is seeking to be re-elected.
This was as a result of a remand proceeding preferred against the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the February 25, 2023 election by the Rivers State Police Command.
According to the state police spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, Nwuzi was arrested over an inciting video where he allegedly directed his supporters to attack some persons, including officials of INEC during the elections.
When the matter was mentioned in court, Nwuzi’s counsel, Emenike Ebete, made an oral bail application but the bail application was opposed by the prosecution and the Investigating Police Officers in charge of the matter, requested that the lawmaker be remanded to pave the way for proper investigation and arraignment.
After listening to arguments from both sides, Chief Magistrate O Amadi-Nna ordered that Nwuzi should be remanded in prison custody based on the weighty allegations against him.
While speaking to newsmen after the ruling, Ebete said the charges preferred against his client were insufficient to warrant a remand and promised to institute an immediate appeal.
“We have also submitted to the court that the offences disclosed in the particulars and affidavit attached to the alleged allegations were not sufficient enough for him to be remanded.
“The court in its wisdom, held that the offences are gracious and that he should be remanded in prison custody until the 3rd of March 2023, pending when a charge will be preferred against him by the state.”