Police arraign lawmaker in another court, despite getting bail from federal court

A day after Farah Dagogo, the embattled Rivers governorship aspirant, was granted bail by a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt, the police on Friday, re-arraigned him before a State High Court.

Police officers, in a video posted on Facebook, could be seen lifting Mr Dagogo on their shoulders, from a police truck to the court for his arraignment.

Mr Dagogo is a federal lawmaker representing Degema/Bonny Federal Constituency of Rivers State in the National Assembly and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant.

He is being prosecuted by the state government for allegedly sponsoring cultism in the state.

Mr Dagogo was arrested last month after he was declared wanted by Governor Wike, who had accused him of hiring thugs to attack the PDP secretariat in Port Harcourt, an accusation the lawmaker dismissed as false.

Mr Dagogo accused Mr Wike of wanting to prevent him from appearing before the party’s governorship screening panel.

After being declared wanted, the police arrested Mr Dagogo on April 28 when he appeared before the screening panel.

He was arraigned before a Magistrate Court in the state and later remanded in a correctional facility.

The case was adjourned to May 9 to allow for amendment of charge after it was argued that the court lacked jurisdiction to entertain cultism-related matters.

The Rivers State Government moved the case to the State High Court, but Mr Dagogo was not available for arraignment as he was reported ill and receiving treatment in a medical facility in the state.

The court then adjourned the case to May 16 for hearing.

Mr Dagogo was, however, granted bail by the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt, on May 12.

The police in Rivers State allegedly flouted the order, even after Mr Dagogo perfected his bail conditions, according to his media aide, Ibrahim Lawal.

Mr Lawal, in a statement posted on Facebook, said Mr Dagogo’s detention was “politically motivated”.

He accused the Commissioner of Police in Rivers, Friday Eboka, of “complicity”.

The police spokesperson in Rivers State, Grace Iringe-Koko, declined comments on the matter when PREMIUM TIMES contacted her.

Paulinus Nsirim, the Commissioner for Information in Rivers, did not respond to a request for comments on the report.