A Federal High Court sitting in Calabar has remanded a journalist, Agba Jalingo, in prison over treason charges for a report about alleged diversion of N500 million by Cross River State Governor, Ben Ayade.
Mr Jalingo, publisher of CrossRiverWatch newspaper based in Cross River, alleged that Mr Ayade approved and diverted N500 million for Cross River Micro Finance.
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Justice Simon Amobeda on Wednesday ruled that Jalingo be remanded in prison.
The journalist had spent 33 days in police detention after his arrest in Lagos.
He is being tried for terrorism, treasonable felony and attempt to topple the Cross River State Government.
The judge said he had no time to look at the bail document.
He said that the counter affidavit by the prosecution filed in response to the motion for bail by the defendant’s counsel was added to the file on Wednesday morning and that he had not had time to look at it.
Amobeda said that he perused the file on Tuesday night and did not see the counter affidavit.
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The prosecutor, Denis Terhemba, claimed the counter affidavit was filed on September 18, 2019, while Jalingo’s counsel, Attah Ochinke, said he was served shortly before the court began sitting.
After a brief discussion with the clerk of the court, Justice Amobeda ruled that Jalingo be remanded at the Afokang prison in Calabar.
He adjourned the case till Thursday, September 26.
