Two pilots of Carveton Helicopters – Samuel Ugorji (l) and Samuel Buhari (r) on Tuesday at the Port Harcourt Magistrates Court premises after they were remanded in Prison Custody for violating Executive Order banning unauthorised flights into Rivers State
…State Attorney General says waiver obtained from Chief Magistrate for detention to be changed from Prison to goverment hotel, Port Harcourt
Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt
Rivers State Government has announced that the two pilots arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court for contravening the Executive Order signed by the Rivers State Governor to check the spread of coronavirus are being detained at a State Government Facility.
This, according to the State Government was borne out of the need to protect inmates of Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Rivers, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, who announced this in a statement said the pilots were moved to the facility after he obtained a variation order from the Magistrate Court.
The statement read: “Whilst the Honourable Attorney-General of Rivers State would ordinarily not want to discuss on radio any matter pending before a Court of competent jurisdiction, it has become necessary to correct the misinformation being circulated by some radio commentators that the two Carveton Helicopters Pilots arraigned before the Chief Magistrates Court, Port Harcourt, on Monday, 7April, 2020 are being remanded at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.
“The truth of the matter is that the Honourable Attorney-General of Rivers State applied for, and obtained a variation Order from the Chief Magistrate Court, Port Harcourt changing the place of remand from the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre to any Rivers State Government-owned facility or building including Delta Hotels, GRA Port Harcourt.
“Based on that Order of variation of the remand Order, the two pilots are being remanded at Delta Hotels, Old 66, Port Harcourt and are attended to regularly by medical personnel attached to the Rivers State COVID-19 medical team”.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I want to restate that none of the two Pilots spent a second at the Port Harcourt Correctional centre. The Rivers State Government cares about the health and Safety of all Rivers people and residents including: the inmates at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre.”