Illegal Flight into Port Harcourt: Court remands 10 Carveton Helicopters’ passengers

A Port Harcourt Chief Magistrates’ Court No. 11 presided over by Chief Magistrate D. D. Ihua-Maduenyi Esq has ordered the remand of 10 passengers who flew into the Air Force Base Port Harcourt on board the Twin-Otter Caventon Helicopters Tuesday 7/4/2020 in contravention of paragraph 8 of the Executive Order RVSG-01 2020 .
The defendants who pleaded not guilty to a four-count charge preferred against them by the State were ordered to be remanded at any government facility to enable medical personnel from the State carry out tests to determine their coronavirus (COVID-19) status.
The prosecution team was led by Prof. Z. Adangor, Hon. Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Rivers State.
The 10 passengers were arraigned via charge number: PMC/533C/2020 .
The 10 Defendants are:
1. NWOGU CHIBUNA ‘M’, AGED 39YRS
2. PETER MICHAEL ‘M’AGED 43YRS
3. AJAGBA IHEAYIN ‘M’ AGED 35YRS
4. EKPEREWECHI OGUGUO ‘M’AGED 43YRS
5. NSIKAN PIUS ‘M’ AGED 38YRS
6. ABANOBI CHINOSO ‘M’AGED 27YRS
7. UDOH HAGAN ‘M’AGED 28YRS
8. OKACHUKWU CHUKS ‘M’ AGED 41YRS
9. GODDY CHUKW ‘M’AGED 42YRS
10. OOMERURIKE CHIJIOKE ‘M’AGED 43YRS
They were arrested at the Air Force Base , Port Harcourt after the Rivers State Police Command received intelligence on their illegal flight into the State.
They were arraigned on a four-count charge.

COUNT I: That you Nwoqu Chibuna ‘m’, Peter Michael ‘m’, Ajagba Iheayin ‘m’,
Ekperewechi Oququo ‘m’, Nsikan Pius ‘m’, Abanobi Chinoso ‘m’, Udoh Hagan ,
Okachukwu Chuks ‘m’, Goddy Chukw ‘m’ and Oomerurike Chijioke ‘m being
passengers on board the Twin-Otter, Caverton Helicopters on the 7″ day of April, 2020
at Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, in the Port Harcourt Magisterial District, did conspire
amongst yourselves to commit misdemeanor to wit: Disobedience to lawful order and
thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 517 A of the Criminal Code
Cap: 37, Vol. 11 Laws of Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999.

COUNT II: That you Nwogu Chibuna ‘m’, Peter Michael ‘m’, Ajagba Iheayin ‘m’,
Ekperewechi Oguguo ‘m’, Nsikan Pius ‘m’, Abanobi Chinoso ‘m’, Udoh Hagan ‘m’,
Okachukwu Chuks ‘m’, Goddy Chukw ‘m’ and Oomerurike Chijioke ‘m’ on the same
date and place at the aforesaid Magisterial District, did intentionally disobey the lawful
order issued by the Governor of Rivers State as contained in paragraph 8 of the
Executive Order RVSG – 01 2020 made Pursuant to Sections 2, 4 and 8 of Quarantine
Act, Cap. Q2 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Regulation 11 of the
Quarantine (Corona Virus (Covid-19) and other Infectious Diseases) Regulations, 2020
by transiting into Port Harcourt after disembarking from Twin-Otter Caverton
Helicopters at Air Force Base, Port Harcourt and thereby committed an offence
punishable under Section 5 of the Quarantine Act Cap. Q2 LFN, 2004.

COUNT III: Nwogu Chibuna ‘m’, Peter Michael ‘m’, Ajagba Iheayin ‘m’,
Ekperewechi Oguguo ‘m’, Nsikan Pius ‘m’, Abanobi Chinoso ‘m’, Udoh Hagan ‘m’,
Okachukwu Chuks ‘m’, Goddy Chukw ‘m’ and Oomerurike Chijioke ‘m’ on the same
date and place at the aforesaid Magisterial District, did conduct yourselves in a manner
likely to cause a breach of peace by disembarking from Twin-Otter Caverton Helicopters
at Air Force Base, Port Harcourt and transiting into Port Harcourt and thereby
committed an offence punishable under Section 249(d) of the Criminal Code Laws of
Rivers State of Nigeria, 1999.

COUNT IV: Nwogu Chibuna ‘m’, Peter Michael ‘m’, Ajaqba Theayin ‘m’,
Ekperewechi Oguguo ‘m’, Nsikan Pius ‘m’, Abanobi Chinoso ‘m’, Udoh Hagan ‘m’,
Okachukwu Chuks ‘m’, Goddy Chukw ‘m’ and Oomerurike Chijioke ‘m’ on the same
date and place at the aforesaid Magisterial District. did intentionally disobey the
order issued by the Governor of Rivers State on restrict within the State contrary to paragraph 8 the Executive Order RVSG – 01 2020 and an offence punishable under Section 203 of the Criminal Code Laws .

Superintendent of Police, Gladys Imegu, officer-in-charge, Legal/Prosecutions of the Rivers State Police Command was part of the prosecution.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Magistrate D. D. Ihua-Maduenyi Esq remanded the pilot and co-pilot of Twin-Otter Caventon Helicopters, Samuel Ugorji and Samuel Buhari in prison custody for the illegal flight.