Anambra State Chief Judge Boniface Okonkwo, an activist, has begged Justice Vincent Agbata to transfer the defamation case against him to a different judge.
After being denied bail, Okonkwo stated he lost faith in Justice Agbata of the High Court located in Nnewi, Anambra State.
Since her arrest on January 3, the activist has been held in custody.
Businessman Sir Emeka Offor filed a complaint, which led to Okonkwo’s arrest and incarceration.
Offor claimed that the defendant had defamed him in the WhatsApp group for their town of Oraifite.
According to reports, the activist called Offor’s Anambra meter production facility a “decorated warehouse.”
Before filing charges against Offor, the police denied him administrative bail.
Judge Agbata denied Okonkwo bail despite the fact that the offense was a misdemeanor, which makes it eligible for bail, and he ordered the trial to start.
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The defendant claimed he had good grounds to think Judge Agbata would not rule in the case in favor of justice.
In the application for case transfer, which our reporter was able to access via court sources, Okonkwo stated that the judge had mandated the start of the trial without the presence of his lead attorney.
He claimed that the judge made this decision because he was a flight risk because he was a South African citizen.
The activist claimed that despite his lawyer’s request to leave his foreign passport with the court, the judge disregarded it.
Okonkwo questioned why he would not be granted bail for the simple act of criticizing Offor’s business, a violation that carries a possible fine.
