SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, (THEWILL) – The Rivers State Government has withdrawn the charges it instituted against two pilots of Caverton Helicopters Limited, Mr. Samuel Ugorji and Mr. Samuel Buhari, and their 10 passengers before the Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate’s Court.
The state government had arrested the pilots and their passengers during the imposition of restrictions on movements and closure of the state borders to check the spread of COVID-19.
They were subsequently arraigned before a Chief Magistrate’s court on April 7 and remanded in custody for allegedly intentionally disobeying the Executive Order issued by the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike.
The Chief Magistrate Court, presided over by D. D. Ihua-Maduenyi, on April 14, granted the two pilots and their passengers bail.
However, at the resumption of the trial Tuesday, the Rivers State Government, through the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Zaccheus Adangor, withdrew the case.
A statement issued by the state Commissioner for Information and Communications, Mr. Paulinus Nsirim, stated that the state had withdrawn and discontinued the two separate charges: PMC/532C/2020 and PMC/533C/2020 preferred against the two pilots and the 10 passengers on board before the Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate’s Court.
“Consequently, the presiding Chief Magistrate, D. D. Ihua-Maduenyi, has struck out the two charges and discharged all the defendants,” he stated.
The court had remanded the two pilots in prison custody for allegedly disobeying the Executive Order.
However, Caverton Helicopters had denied any wrongdoing, explaining that it received approval from the Minister of Aviation to operate essential services during the lockdown.
