Mkpoikana Udoma
Port Harcourt — The Rivers State Government on Tuesday withdrew and discontinued charges before a Port Harcourt Magistrates’ Court.against the two pilots of Caverton Helicopters and 1o oil workers who flew into the state in violation of the state coronavirus lockdown.
The pilots and oil workers were charged in case numbers PMC/532C/2020 and PMC/533C/2020.
Recall that two pilots of Carveton Helicopters, Samuel Ugorji and Samuel Buhari, were arrested and remanded last month for allegedly transporting the oil workers into the state illegally, amid the ravaging coronavirus pandemic.
Caverton, a helicopter transport company, provides logistic services for oil and gas companies in Nigeria, including the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Shell Petroleum Development Company, ExxonMobil, Chevron Nigeria Limited, among others.
A Port Harcourt Chief Magistrate Court had ordered that the two pilots be remanded at the Port Harcourt Correctional Centre till May 19, 2020 when their trial would commence.
They were accused of intentionally disobeying the Executive Order issued by the Governor Nyesom Wike, aimed at checking the spread of coronavirus in the state.
Prosecution Counsel and Officer-in-charge, Gladys Amadi, while arraigning the suspects before Chief Magistrate D.D. Ihua-Maduenyi, argued that they were capable of putting the entire state in danger of contracting the coronavirus.
Confrming the development, Commissioner for Information in Rivers State, Paulinus Nsirim, said consequently upon withdrawal of the charges, the presiding Chief Magistrate, D. D. Ihua-Maduenyi, has struck out the two charges and discharged all the defendants.
