PDP spokesman, Metuh might be charged to court on January 13

A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Wuse Zone 2 has granted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an order to detain the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)spokesperson, Olisa Metuh from 6th of January to 13th of January, 2016.

The order also instructed the anti-graft agency to arraign Metuh in court, on or before January 13, 2015.

This was contained in the ruling of Chief Magistrate Okeagu Azubuike.

The Chief Magistrate said “This court has read carefully the affidavit in the Form 8 to support this application as well as the legal  authorities submitted thereto.

“This court has therefore found merit in this application and hereby allows the applicant to detain the respondent(Olisa Metuh) in their custody from the 6th of January to 13th of January, 2016, pending the investigation.

“The Respondent(Olisa Metuh) should be given access to his lawyer, relatives and medical doctors and should be arraigned before a court of law on or before 13th of January.”

The EFCC had earlier sought for an order from the court, through its counsel Mr. C.O. Ugwu.

The Nation Newspapers reports that the anti-graft presented a 16-paragraph affidavit deposed to by Junaid Saidu, a detective officer with EFCC.

The counsel to EFCC also backed his case, with sections 293 and 296 of the  Administration of Criminal Justice Act that says"A suspect arrested for an offence, which a magistrate’s court has no jurisdiction to try shall, within a reasonable time of arrest, be brought before a magistrate’s court for remand.

“An application for remand under this section shall be made ex parte and shall (a) be made in the prescribed “Report and Request for Remand Form” as contained in Form 8, in the First Schedule to this Act; and (b) be verified on oath and contain reasons for the remand request."

Part of section 296 also says  “Where an order of remand of the suspect is made pursuant to Section 293 of this Act, the order shall be for a period not exceeding 14 days in the first instance, and the case shall be returnable within the same period.

 “Where, on application in writing, good cause is shown why there should be an extension of the remand period, the court may make an order for further remand of the suspect for a period not exceeding 14 days and make the proceedings returnable within the same period…”

Olisa Metuh’s kinsmen have asked the EFCC to release their son, or charge him to court.

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