A bench warrant has been issued by a Port Harcourt Magistrate Court for the arrest of a former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Walter Ubaka Okeke for allegedly stealing oil drilling pipes and a heavy duty equipment worth N800 million.

Chief Magistrate Amadi Nnah issued the bench warrant in a preliminary ruling in Suit No. PMC/884c/2022 on Monday, October 31, 2022 in Port Harcourt for the arrest of Okeke, who hails from Enugu Village of Nanka in Orumba North Local Government Area of Anambra State.

He is alleged to have stocked the oil drilling pipes and other heavy industrial equipment at his at the Trans Amadi area of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The charge sheet obtained by Kristina Reports, which was filed on May 27, 2022, stated that; “You, Walter Ubaka Okeke, and others now at large, did conspire to commit felony to wit: stealing; and therefore committed an offence punishable under Section 516A of the Criminal Code Law Cap 37 Vol 2, Laws of Rivers State”.

The second count placed the value of the alleged stolen property to be over N800m, items said to be property of a Port Harcourt business man, Ifeanyi Amaonye, and kept in the open at the accused’s compound in the Trans Amadi Industrial Area of Port Harcourt.

When the case came up on Monday, October 31, 2022, at Chief Magistrate Court 10, counsel to the accused, Oluchuchu Ulasi raised a preliminary objection, saying there was an application they just submitted to the court.

He said there was a case where the defendant (Okeke), who is landlord of the said compound, got a ruling asking the police not to harass him whatsoever.

The prosecution counsel, Godday Amadi, who represented the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), countered saying the case in the Chief Magistrate Court was simply a criminal case and that the case was stood down earlier in the year to allow the case at the Rivers State High Court to run to the end where the defendant asked for enforcement of his fundamental human rights.

He noted that the said case at the High Court had run to an end with a judgment that was not in favour of the accused (Okeke). He further pointed out that there was no appeal from it before the Chief Magistrate sitting over the theft case.

He thus said by this, the criminal case of stealing at the Chief Magistrate’s Court should continue, but that Okeke (the accused) had refused repeatedly to come to court.

He demanded for a bench warrant as well as a warrant of arrest to produce the accused to court.

After a staccato of exchanges between both counsels, the Chief Magistrate ruled ordering the arrest of Okeke who should be produced in court on Thursday, December 8, 2022.

In an interview after the court session, the defence counsel, Oluchukwu Ulasi, said he would study the ruling to see the best line of action, wondering why his preliminary objection was overlooked.  

On his own, the prosecuting counsel, Amadi, said he was happy that the court agreed with his submission that the law frowns at preliminary objections that seek to obstruct trial in criminal matters.