An Abuja Magistrate Court on Friday set an African Independent Television reporter, Amaechi Anakwe, free of the charge relating to addressing the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 7, Abuja, Mr. Joseph Mbu, as “controversial”.
It was reported here that Mbu had on Thursday ordered that Anakwe be detained after he was invited to the AIG’s office for publicly calling him controversial.
The Chief Magistrate, who presided over the court, Anthony Ogboi, discharged the AIT journalist, after the prosecution counsel, Chijoke Okezie, orally applied for the withdrawal of the charge.
Okezie told the court that Mbu instructed that the charge be withdrawn and that Anakwe be brought to his office for further clarification on the issue.
The defence counsel, John Kalu, had previously brought to the notice of court that he had yet to get a copy of the First Information Report to enable him to know the offence his client was charged with.
He however did not oppose the application for the withdrawal of the charge but he prayed for an order restraining Mbu or its privies from further harassing or arresting Anakwe.
In a short ruling, the magistrate let the journalist go free but declined to make an order restraining the police.
According to the magistrate, making such a restraining order could amount to impeding the duty of the police.
Meanwhile, Anakwe’s lawyers, Kalu and Ayo Ogundele, gave their own two cents on the issue saying that the arrest of their client as gross abuse of rights.