A Federal Capital Territory High Court has remanded Aminu Abubakar, the Chairman of the Goodluck Support Group, and Okechukwu Geoffrey in prison custody over allegations of blackmail.
Abubakar and Geoffrey were ordered remanded on Tuesday by Justice Ishaq Bello.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission had arraigned the accused persons before the court on a three count charge under the penal code for extortion and conspiracy to extort.
The accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charges when it was read to them.
Counsel to the accused persons, E. A. Egbedu, informed the court about a motion challenging the jurisdiction of the court to hear the matter and for the charges to be quashed.
George Lawal, prosecuting counsel, objected to the application on the grounds that it was premature.
Egbedu, in his reply on the points of law citing Edet and State, 2008, Part 1106, page 52 at page 60, argued that since they are challenging jurisdiction, the court is expected to entertain the interlocutory application before proceeding into arraigning the accused.
The court, in response, questioned the possibility of quashing the charge while its jurisdiction is also being challenged.
The court said without prejudice to the right of the defence to raise the issue of jurisdiction and to quash the charge, ordered the plea of the accused to be taken.
Abubakar and Geoffrey were alleged to have been in possession of some documents relating to officials of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources with the intent to implicate them by publishing and threatening them if they do not part with N25 million.
Bello subsequently adjourned the matter to July 9, 2015 for the motion challenging the court’s jurisdiction as well as trial of the accused, while their bail application is to be taken on June 11, 2015.