Police re-arrest freed Akwa Ibom politician
Barely an hour after he was granted bail by a federal high Court in Abuja, the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Akwa Ibom State, James Akpanudoedehe was rearrested by a police detachment within the court premises.
Commotion broke out within the court some minutes after the judge, Adamu Bello ruled that the police has no evidence to link Mr Akpanudoedehe with the alleged offence and granted him bail. About 40 armed policemen gathered around the court premises waiting for the politician to come out, even as his supporters protest against the police plan.
After waiting a while, a police detachment entered the court to effect the man's arrest.
Ruling on Mr Akpanudoedehe's bail application, the presiding judge, Adamu Bello, said the police has no shred of evidence to link the politician with the alleged offence and that the plan to hold onto the accused, while the police go around to fish for evidence, has no place in our law.
Kola Awodein, counsel to the accused, told Mr Bello that Mr Akpanudoedehe's arrest in Akwa Ibom State and his quick arraignment in Abuja was designed to keep him away from the campaign trail.
Mr Akpanudoedehe has been in police custody since last Friday following an order of the court that he be remanded pending his bail application hearing.
He was arraigned on a four-count criminal charge bothering on treason and felony, and pleaded not guilty to all.
The accused, a former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was arrested over last week's clash between supporters of his party and those of the PDP in the state during which many people were killed and property worth millions of naira were damaged.
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