Udoh was arraigned along with one other defendant, Chinedu. The arraignment came a week after an Otuocha High Court had ordered the police to free Udoh on bail.
The police prosecutor told the court that accused persons had on August 3, this year, committed the offence along the Onitsha/Enugu old road within the St. Charles Borromeo Roundabout axis, adding that their offences ranged from conspiracy, kidnapping, robbery with guns, demand for N2m and receipt of N560,000 from their victim, Emeka Anyaegbunam for his release.
The defendant’s counsel led by Frank Molokwu and Mrs. M.C. Ilondu told the court that it was a judicial harassment to bring the hotelier to the court when he had already been granted bail by a High Court sitting in Onitsha and Otuocha.
An Otuocha High Court presided over by Justice J. I. Nweze had last Tuesday, granted an application for bail brought before it by Udoh’s legal counsel, under fundamental human rights enforcement procedure, which was granted.
Chinedu’s counsel, M.C. Nwora, told the court that his client was presumed to be innocent until proved otherwise by the prosecution and as such should be granted bail.
In her ruling, the presiding Magistrate, Mrs. Pauline Chinwuba ordered that the accused persons be remanded in the prison custody till September 19, 2012, adding that she was not competent to entertain the case or to even grant them bail.
Meanwhile, the police in Onitsha on Monday apprehended five suspected kidnappers in a raid by men of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad attached to the Central Police Station, Onitsha, Anambra State.
A police source said the suspects, whose identities were yet to be known, were arrested when the police team raided their hideout at Oraifite in Ekwusigo Local Government Area of the state, following a tip-off.
The Onitsha Area Commander, Mr. Benjamin Wordu, who confirmed the arrest to newsmen, said more raids were being carried out.
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