The federal government is formally resisting the bail request of Ugochukwu Lucky Ibekwe, a man accused of involvement in severe oil theft and terrorism. Ibekwe, often called Chief Onwa, faces trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja. He is linked to the deaths of more than 500 individuals and widespread economic sabotage resulting from his illegal oil refinery operations and pipeline tampering.
Prosecutors have further alleged that Ibekwe engaged in criminal bribery, citing payments made to a public official, Oliver Amadi, to secure his own exoneration. Additionally, the government claims he accepted payments from Musa Mohammed in exchange for permission to tap into oil pipelines. The defense counsel, Damian Okoro SAN, argued for bail by highlighting the defendant’s health, specifically claiming he is a kidney transplant recipient, and asserting that the prosecution has not sufficiently proven the terrorism charges.
However, the Director of the Public Prosecution of the Federation, Rotimi Oyedepo SAN, strongly rejected these claims. He emphasized that the charges are capital offenses, which potentially carry the death penalty or life imprisonment. Furthermore, the prosecution disputed the medical claims, noting a lack of verified documentation from government facilities. Concerns were also raised regarding the protection of witnesses scheduled to testify against the accused. Consequently, the government urged the court to prioritize an accelerated trial over any release on bail. Justice Salim Ibrahim has scheduled the formal ruling on the application and the start of the trial for July 1.
