The Chief Magistrate Court 1 in Makurdi, Benue State, has remanded a civil rights activist and secretary of the Global Integrity Crusade Network, GICN, Mr Uchenna Mojekwu in prison over allegations of N20 billion fraud involving Dr. Dennis Akura, the Special Adviser to Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
The Chief Magistrate, Kelvin Mbanongun, ordered Mojekwu’s remand after refusing to hear an oral application for his bail, instructing his lawyer to file a formal bail application instead.
The Police had arraigned Mojekwu before the court following his detention by the newly deployed Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Mr Yabaneth Steve Hassan, over a petition against Dr Dennis Akura.
Recall that in February 2024, GICN, through Mojekwu, submitted a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), alleging that the government of Alia, through his aide, Akura, authorized and withdrew over N20 billion from Benue local government accounts. The petition included evidence such as letters signed by council chairmen and directors.
The anti-corruption group also submitted a copy of the petition to the Department of State Services, DSS, and the House Committee on Public Petitions, inviting various agencies to investigate the allegation.
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