Like his colleague, James Olanrewaju, also known as Baba Ijesha, who has been in a protracted legal battle involving rape allegations of a minor, Moses Armstrong has also been entangled in an alleged rape case with a minor.
It was gathered that the Nollywood actor allegedly committed the act with a 16-year-old girl about three years ago.
The alleged victim, who was said to have been schooling outside Nigeria, returned to the country recently and thereafter petitioned Akwa Ibom’s First Lady, Martha Udom Emmanuel, with respect to the rape allegation.
The Akwa Ibom State-born actor, a former aide to Governor Udom Emmanuel, was thereafter arrested by the Akwa Ibom State Police Command few days ago, and arraigned on charges of ‘rape and threat to life’.
During the court sitting at a Magistrate Court in Uyo, the state capital on Friday, the Judge, Samuel Ukoima, after listening to the prosecution and defence counsels, struck out a remand application filed by the Akwa Ibom State Government against the Nollywood actor.
Earlier, the prosecutor, A. Nyongessien, an assistant state counsel, prayed the court to remand the actor to a correctional facility, as the court lacked the jurisdiction to handle the case.
Nyongessien, who failed to provide details of the case, argued that the punishment for the charge was life imprisonment and that Armstrong would be arraigned at the High Court.
Emmanuel Pantaleon, the defence counsel, however, opposed the application while asking the court to grant bail to the embattled actor, adding that Armstrong, being a public figure, would not jump bail.
Citing relevant legal authorities, Panteleon further told the Judge that the prosecution knew the court had no jurisdiction to entertain the case but deliberately brought it, an action he said was ‘illegal’.
In his ruling, Ukoima struck out the application of the prosecution counsel, saying it lacked merit.
The implication of the ruling, according to the Judge, is that the defendant has to be rearrested and taken back to police custody, and can be brought back by motion ex parte, proceedings brought on behalf of one interested party without notice to, and in the absence of the other party, or taken to the high court.
Few hours after the arraignment, the Actors Guild of Nigeria (AGN) suspended Armstrong.
The suspension was contained in a statement signed by Monalisa Chinda, AGN director of communications, on Saturday.
According to the statement, Emeka Rollas, AGN president, said the indefinite suspension became necessary following an investigation by the Guild on the rape allegation.
As long as the suspension lasts, Armstrong is barred from participating in any film production or AGN activities.
