The Rivers State Government on Thursday said it moved the two Caverton pilots, who were arrested for allegedly violating the Governor's Executive Order on movement, to a hospitality facility owned by the government in Port Harcourt
An official statement by the government said the move was to protect inmates at the Port Harcourt correctional facility, adding that the pilots were being held at
Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor, the state's Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who disclosed this, said the step was taken to protect inmates at the Port Harcourt Correction Centre.
The development was another twist to the controversy over the arrest, subsequent arraignment and detention of the commercial pilots, whose flight the Minister of Aviation said was approved by the
Governor Nyesom Wike had signed an Executive Order barring flights into the state through the
He said he would not allow the state to be blackmailed by anybody, including the Minister.
In a statement on Thursday, Prof. Zacchaeus Adangor said the movement was after a Chief Magistrate Court granted his request for variation order on the detention of the pilots.
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 that the two Pilots arraigned before the Chief Magistrates Court, Port Harcourt, on Monday,
remanded a the
'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
'Based on that Order of variation of the remand order, the two pilots are being remanded at
The statement added: 'For the avoidance of doubt, want to restate thal none of the two Pilots spent a second at the Port Harcourt Corretional centre.'
'The Rivers State Government cares about the health and safety of all Rivers people and residents inclucing the inmates at the
© Pakistan Press International, source