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By Chidi Nkwopara
Friday, July 23, 2004
OWERRI— AN Imo StateHigh Court sitting in Okigwe has ordered the immediate arrest anddetention of two Catholic priests, Rev. Fr. John Ekeogu and Rev. Fr. Joachim Lechukwu, for refusing to respond to contempt charges preferred against them in the court.
Justice Ngozi Opara gave the order yesterday at the resumed hearing of contempt proceedingsinstituted by Mr. Collins Okpara against the two Catholic priests and 11 others. Other defendants in the matter are Mrs. Lucy Ekeogu, Dominic Ekeogu, Fabian Udenkwo, Emeka Udenkwo, Ngozi Ekeogu, Mrs. Cordelia Udenkwo, Mrs. Edith Udenkwo, Emmanuel Aaron Okpara and Mrs. Susan AaronOkpara.
Justice Opara said the court had adjourned the case several times with a view to giving the two priests the opportunity to appear in person and defend the charges against them. “It would be recalled that this court had at the last sitting, ordered the Court Registrar to write the Catholic Archbishop of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. Anthony Obinna, and hisbrother Bishop of Okigwe, Rt. Rev. Dr. Anthony Ilonu, informing them of the insult meted out to the court by the duo, by failing and/or neglecting to report to the court when duly asked to do so,” Justice Opara said.Explaining why the letter to the two Bishops was necessary, he said it was to respecttheir holy orders, adding that the court could have ordered their arrest at the last sitting. According to him, the Court Registrar carried out the order of court, adding that the Catholic Bishop of Okigwe had even replied to apologise for the apparent disrespect shown by the two priests and assured the court that the clergymen would be in court at the next adjourned date.
"The Catholic Bishop of Okigwe replied to the letter addressed to him by this court. He apologised onbehalf of the two priests and also informed this court that the legal adviser to the diocese had been briefedto take up the matter. The Bishop also assured the court that they would present at today’s (yesterday) hearing”,Justice Opara said.”Neither the two Reverend Fathers nor their counsel, who had at a previous date, told me that he had been briefed by the Catholic Diocese of Okigwe, about the contempt charges hanging on the necks of the two clerics were in court,” he said, adding: “No one is saying or has said that they are guilty or not. For now, it is very clear that they are insulting this honourable court by not coming to answer the allegation against them. The court is, therefore, ordering that Rev. Fr. John Ekeogu and Rev. Fr. Joachim Lechukwu be immediately arrested, detained and brought to this court on October 13, 2004.”
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