Chief Magistrate Abdullahi Musa Mopa, of the Lugard Chief Magistrate Court, in Lokoja, on Friday remanded a former member of the House of Represntatives, Austin Okai, in the Correctional Centre pending the investigations labeled against him by Directorate of State Security Service (DSS).
Mopa gave the order following the submission of DSS’s Prosecution Counsel, Izo Isaac, who told the court that Okai, who represented the Dekina/Bassa Federal Constituency, was being arraigned for alleged cyberstalking and criminal defamation of character of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State.
Isaac said: “the arraignment of the accused is to ensure compliance with the law, by not keeping him beyond 48 hours in our custody, without the lawful permission of the court in line with the Criminal Justice System of Nigeria.
“We hereby apply to this honourable court to grant our application for reminding the accused in a correctional centre.
“This is to enable the DSS to conclude their investigations into the allegations of Cyberstalking and Criminal Defamation labeled against Austin Okai.”
Mopa granted the application and sent Okai, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to the Federal Correctional Centre in Kabbah.
Okai allegedly posted on the social media that the Kogi Governor, Alh. Ahmed Ododo allegedly stole billions of naira meant for local governments in the state as well as some government agencies.
Operatives of the DSS in gestapo style stormed Okai’s residence and whisked him away on Wednesday.
A video circulating on social media captured the moment heavily armed DSS operatives allegedly picked Okai up from his home.
Okai has been very vocal against the alleged ills of Ododo’s administration.
Recently, Okai charged Ododo to curb what he described as the “unchecked and excessive powers” of the state’s Accountant General, Habiba Onumoko.
