A Magistrate’s court in Owerri on Tuesday ordered the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Imo state, Cyprian Akaolisa, to appear before it on January 20, 2022, over a case of child trafficking.
A nurse, Ngozi Ebuzoaju, who is in the custody of Owerri Correctional Centre was on Tuesday arraigned by the police in the state before the court for allegedly aiding child trafficking for a 55- year- old Chinyere Ohanyere, popularly known as Madam Chichi.
At the resumed hearing of the case on Tuesday, the presiding magistrate, Chika Ezerioha, said that the order for AG to appear before her had become necessary to enable him to give advice on whether he (the Attorney General) wants the case to be heard at the high court or should continue at the magistrate court.
Prosecuting counsel, Timothy Eke, had told the court that he had written a letter to the Director of Public Prosecution to make available the original case file.
He informed the court that the letter to the DPP was forwarded on November 2, 2021.
The magistrate, therefore, adjourned the case to January 20, 2022, when the Attorney General and Commissioner for justice will appear before her.
The case suit, no. OW/54C/2021 is between the Commissioner of Police and Ebuzoaju. However, the case was brought to national attention when the National President of Ohanaeze Youth Council, Igboayaka O. Igboayaka, had accused the AG of meddling in the case by attempting to file for no-prosecution.
Akaolisa had appeared before Magistrate Court 2 on November 17 where the prime suspect, Ohanyere, was being prosecuted and asked that the case be withdrawn.
But Akaolisa had told journalists that it was not in the place of the organisation to determine his right of prosecution as the AG of the state.
Igboayaka who was in court on Tuesday told journalists that he was happy that the court was interested in dispensing justice in the matter. He also disclosed that the Attorney General had assured the Ohanaeze Youth Council that justice would be served in the matter.
The youth leader said that child trafficking is an abominable act in Igbo culture, hence the stance of the Ohanaeze Youth Council that justice is served in the matter.