Ex-Imo deputy gov freed after 9 days in detention

Irona on Friday left Owerri Correctional Centre, Imo State, after spending nine days in custody.

The former Deputy Governor was last Thursday remanded in Owerri correctional centre by an Imo High Court on charges of felony.

Irona’s media aide, Walter Duru, in a message on Friday said that an Abuja federal high court ordered that the former number two citizen of the state be released on bail.

He disclosed that the authorities at the correctional centre had complied with the court order.

Duru said, “Former Deputy Governor of Imo State, Gerald Irona is free. His release was ordered by a Federal High Court in FCT, Abuja and the Nigerian Correctional Service has long complied. I will issue a statement later today.”

The charges preferred against him by the police read, “That you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did conspired with others now at large, to commit felony to wit: treason and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37(2) of the criminal code, cap c 38, law of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.

“That you Hon Gerald Irona sometime in January 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, did make several utterances to the effect that you will make Imo state ungovernable and immediately afterwards hoodlums levied several attacks on Imo state with intent to intimidate or overawe the governor of Imo state and thereby committed an offence punishable under section 37 of the criminal code, cap, c 38, law of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.

“That you Hon Gerald Irona on the 15th day of January, 2020, at Owerri in the Owerri magistrate district, do converted to your own use two land cruiser jeep ( V8 and v6) and one Toyota Hilux vehicle valued four hundred and Ninety three million naira property of Imo state government thereby committed an offence punishable under section 390 ( 9) of the criminal code, cap c 38, laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004, as applicable in Imo state.”