PORT HARCOURT, Nigeria – The Rivers State Government has withdrawn its money laundering and criminal charges against a former lawmaker, Chinyere Igwe.
Igwe was initially arrested and arraigned in court on the eve of the presidential election on February 24th, for possessing $499,000,000.
He was subsequently granted bail after a few weeks.
As the case resumed on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, for trial, the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Professor Zacchaeus Adangor, announced the state government’s decision to withdraw the case against Igwe.
Adangor, however, did not disclose any reasons behind the government’s decision to retract the charges.
The presiding judge, Justice Stephen Daylop-Pam, considering the state government’s stance was unopposed by the defence, discharged the defendant in his ruling.
In addition, Justice Daylop-Pam ordered the police to return Igwe’s international passport and other seized items to him.
