A Magistrate Court in Owerri, Imo State on Wednesday granted bail to 181 persons who were accused of misdemeanour and unlawful gathering with intent to commit crime.
All the 181 defendants pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.
The accused persons, who came in from Osun State, were allegedly arrested on November 14 with fake voter’s cards, official identity cards of the Independent National Electoral Commission and independent election observers’ identity cards.
Magistrate Maureen Onyewuotu granted them bail, following an application by their counsel, Uche Onyeagocha.
Onyewuoto granted each of the accused bail in the sum of N50,000, with two sureties in like sum.
The magistrate also ordered that each of the accused persons and their respective sureties should submit two passport photographs.
Prior to the ruling, the defence counsel argued that investigations into the matter had been completed as the accused had been charged to court.
He argued that the granting of bail to his clients would not affect the proceedings of the case.
INEC’s counsel, Emmanuel Ogbodu, however, opposed the bail, arguing that that it would be difficult to get all the accused back to court because of their number.
The magistrate granted the bail, saying that the Owerri Prison was already congested and could not accommodate more inmates.
She later adjourned the case to February 5, 2014.
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